I’m not sure if this belongs here or might be better in MPSIMS, but since I’m looking for information, I’ll start it here. (Mods feel free to move it if necessary).
Can anbody give me some information on Keystone Camera Co.? I’m pretty sure they’re out of business, but I’m trying to find some corporate history. My mom is working on some family geneaology and we’re having some problems with immigration dates for my great-grandfather and his family. We know they came over around the turn of the century and they came from Russia, but the exact dates and origin are escaping us. We were talking about it today and realized that we may be able to do some type of “end-around” by trying to find information about his brothers, who founded Keystone Cameras. We don’t remember when the company was sold, but we figured if we could get a corporate history, it might have some biographical information. Unfortunately, it looks like they are now out of business and the only results I’m getting from my searches is stuff about antique cameras and places to buy fairly recent used or never sold cameras. I believe they also founded Marks Brothers Toys. Awww Great Grandpa Louie! why couldn’t you be as ambitious as your brothers??
*Any * information would be really helpful.
Thanks in advance
just a bump, if anyone can maybe provide some advice on where to look, that would be appreciated too. A little more back ground, both companies were founded in Boston. Seeing as I’m in Florida, it makes it pretty tough for me to get any information from the Boston Historical society. They don’t have much information available on their website, you either have to go there yourself to research or pay their in house researchers. Additionally, I believe you have to be a member anyway.
I don’t know if this helps, but the KEYSTONE camera factory was in Dorchester, MA (in Boston). The building is now an elderly housing project. I believe they made cameras from ca. 1910 to about 1957 or so…I know the building was abandoned for many years.
As far as the name goes, somebody must have bought it, because KEYSTONE was still in the market (cheap home cameras) till about 1970or so.
Keystone Camera Products Ltd was the company in the 1970s, producing Polaroid-style cameras.Seidman & Co refer to that company on their site as one they loked into for investment clients (unknown date). It is apparently liquidated now.
This attorney lists the Keystone Camera Corporation among his directorships.
I spent 15 years selling cameras and equipment in the late seventies and early eighties. I remember keystone as still being alive as a brand name but not as a manufacturer.
There is a great trade magazine for the industry called"photographic trade news" They still exist and might be able to connect you with the last official sales rep for the keystone line. A lot of these guys have been in the industry for most of their carrers and know each other and lots of history in the industry. Good Luck
read your keystone camera question, and noticed you said your grandfather founded the company. My uncle was a either the founder or co-founder of keystone camera located on Naposet Circle Dorchester MA. The building is some sort of residential place. It was never connected to Marx toys. That family was out of NY. I knew one of the sons. I am curious to know who you are. I found your post while searching for me about my uncle and the history of the company. There seems to be very little info available. Naturally I knew both of my uncles sons, my first cousins. Between them they had at least 5 children that I know of. One has two girls by one wife, and twin boys by another. The other, I believe, had only one child by the first wife. Are you and I related?
pssecret, actually, it was my great-grandfather’s brothers (my great-uncles) that I was told founded the company. I do know that they also founded what we thought was Marx toys (we recently found out that it was apparently Keystone Toys) and were originally out of NY. My great-grandfather settled in Brooklyn. Their family was rounded out by 2 other brothers and 3 sisters. What was your uncle’s name?
I found a March 15, 1959 article from The Boston Globe which said that the company was celebrating their 40th Anniversary at that point. They added that the company was founded in 1919 with a $10,000 investment. No mention of founders, etc.
I don’t have the time right now, but I’ll spend some time in my newspaper databases on Sunday.
October 25, 1964 page A_74 article from the Globe, talking about the then current President of the company, Edward M. Swartz, 68, the last surviving member of the trio who founded the company. They came from Russia when he was 7 and settled in Newton, MA. The biz started “45 years ago” with hand cranked 35mm movie projectors.
I can give you more detail, just not until Sunday.
