Panoramic Photography History-

1843 - Joseph Puchberger of Retz, Austria, patented a handcrank driven swing lens panoramic camera that used curved Daguerreotype plates 19 to 24 inches long. The camera had an 8-inch focal length lens and made around a 150º image.

1844 - Friedrich Von Martens, a German living in Paris, France made the swing lens, Megaskop Camera which was operated by a handle and gears. First model used 4.7" x 15 " curved Daguerreotype plates that had a 150º arc. A later model used wet plate curved-glass emulsions.

1857 - M. Garella of England made and patented a rotating photographic instrument, with up to 360º field if view, using the same principle of the Cirkut Camera of 1904.

1857 - Ross of New York developed a Scioptric camera that took a 120º panorama on three curved glass plates, and was similar to the Megaskop.

1858 - Charles Chevallier of Paris, France built a camera with a curved plate which revolved, while the camera itself revolved in the opposite direction on an axis under the plate. The camera had radial shutters, limiting the surface of the plate exposed at any one time.

1858 - Thomas Sutton Panoramic Camera made by Ross Optical Co. of London, England. Pictures were of 120º at f12 on curved plates using a spherical lens filled with water to achieve the wide-field effect.

1862 - Johnson and Harris Pantascopic Camera which produced a 110º view on 7 1/2" x 12" flat Collodian plates using clockwork controlled by a vane governor which was made in England. A photographer named Braun took 400 Alpine panoramas using this camera and was praised for the "fine technical qualities, cloud and aerial effect".

1865 - Prout's Panoramic Camera from England.

1865 - The Rowland Panoramic Camera from England.

1867 - Silvy of England produced a circular-backed panoramic camera within which he gradually unwound the sensitive sheet from a spool through the camera.

1875 - Col. Mangine's Perigraphe Instantane made in Paris by Bardon which made a 360º sweep with a special lens that gave a long strip photograph.

1882 - Paul Lieselang Rotations-Apparat Camera made in Germany. Similar in principle to the 1862 J&H Pantascopic except that a handle and gearing apparatus was used to turn the camera instead of clockwork.

1884 - P. Moessard of England was granted a patent for a rotating lens panoramic camera called the Cylindrographe which covered 170º field of view and was rotated by hand to expose the film.

1889 - Rudolph Stirn of Berlin made a 360º panoramic camera called the "Wonder Panoramic Camera". It was designed by an American, J. R. Connon and patented in America by Carl Stirn of New York, The box shaped camera was made of wood and it used 3 1/4" film.

1890 - Jules Damoized of Paris built the Cyclographe Camera which could make 360º pictures (8.5 cm x 80 cm) on a key-wind clockwork driven mechanism. Later, Damoizeau also made a Panoramic stereoscopic model that had paired lenses and two spools of film to pass two slits.

1891 - The Star Panoramic Camera made in New York was very similar to the Moessart instrument, having a crescent shaped back carrying a curved film, a bellows body and a lens moving on a pivot over the optical center.

1894 - Marcellus Cycloramic Panoramic Camera made by Percy S. Marcellus of Philadelphia, PA, was a 360º slit roll film camera. It was available in eight camera sizes from 4" wide film to 18" wide film.

1895 - Col. R. W. Stewart patented in England the "Patent Stewart Panoramic Camera" which used Eastman roll film 3 1/4 " wide, and utilized clockwork and a slit to take a picture.

1895 - Scovill Panoramic Camera made by Scovill & Adams Co. of New York City was equipped with a swinging lens. Up to 18" x 48" pictures were available. The 10" x 30" model cost $250 while the 16" x 43" model cost $300. It was patented by Mathias Flammang in 1894.

1898 - The #4 Al-Vista Panoramic Camera was made by Multiscope & Film Co. of Burlington, Wisconsin, and was invented by Peter N. Angsten and Charles H. Gesbeck in 1896. It used 4" film with a 160º field of view with a 12" long negative.

1899 - #4 Kodak Panoram Camera made by Eastman Kodak Co. of Rochester, NY used 103 film and had a 142º field of view with a 3 1/2" x 12" photograph.

1900 - #1 Kodak Panoram introduced by Eastman Kodak and patented by Frank A. Brownwell in 1901. Used 105 film and gave a 112º, 2 1/4 " x 7" picture.

1900 - Caleb Panoramique Camera was a hand held swing lens box camera made in France. It made 180º 3 1/4" x 10 5/8" pictures.

1901 - Midg Panoramic Camera made by W. Butcher & Sons of London was a falling-plate magazine box type camera using an achromatic lens and a simple shutter that made 61mm x 165mm pictures.

1901 - The Lumiere Brothers Periophote gave 360º 2 3/4" x 15 " pictures where the film was held stationary on a drum while the lens rotated around the outside of the drum. Lumiere also made a special projector for the Periophote pictures.

1902 - Aptus Panoramic Camera made by Sharp & Hitchmough of England was a falling-plate magazine box type version that produced 61mm x 165mm photographs with a simple shutter.

1902 - Hinton & Co. Dual Panoramic Camera had a curved back that gave a 4" x 12" picture utilizing a swivelling lens, and could also make flat 4" x 6" photographs.

1904 - The Turret Panoramic Camera from Brooklyn, NY was introduced, which was a swing lens box camera that gave 4" x 10" pictures.

1904 - Cirkut #10 and #16 Cameras were now manufactured by the Rochester Panoramic Camera Co. of Rochester, NY. They made up to 360º views on a fan governed clockwork. The 10" wide roll film Cirkut Camera was the most widely used panoramic camera used by the professional photographer.

1906 - Century Camera Co. of Rochester, NY introduced the Cirkut Panoramic attachment to fit customers own 5" x 7" camera. It allowed them to make 360º pictures on 6 1/2 " film.

1906 - The French Krauss Deubresse Panoramic Camera was cylindrical in shape. Film was curved on the cylinder while the lens and prism unit was rotated by clockwork to produce a panoramic image.

1907 - The #6 and #8 Cirkut Outfit Cameras were introduced by Century Camera Co. of Rochester, NY. The outfit could be used as a standard view camera or be used with the Cirkut back to take panoramic photographs up to 360º.

1907 - Ernemann of Germany produced the Rundblick-Kamera patented by August Miller and John Klein. It could take 360º images on

120 film with clockwork that rotated the camera and wound the film at the same time.

1907 - Minimum Palmos Stereo made by Carl Zeiss Jena, Jena, Germany. Camera front can be shifted to take 9cm x 18cm panoramic pictures on glass plates using a focal plane shutter.

1908 - The Bell Panorama invented by Isaac A. Bell of Grinnell, Iowa was a stationary wide angle type panoramic camera. It made a standard size picture of 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" as well as a panoramic picture 3 1/2" x

11 1/2 " on standard 122 roll film.

1911 - Conley Camera Co. of Rochester, MN introduced their Model A Conley Panoramic Camera. It made a 140º 3 1/2" x 12 1/2" picture on standard 103 roll film. It was marketed by Sears, Roebuck & Co. in their catalogs, and also sold by Northern Photo Supply of Minneapolis, MN as the Queen City Panoramic Camera.

1911 - ICA Polyscop Stereo Camera made by ICA A.G. of Dresden, Germany, where the front can be shifted to take 6cm x 13cm panoramic pictures on plates using a compound shutter.

1912 - Doppel-Sport Panoramic Camera invented by Dr. Julius Neubronner of Kronberg, Germany that was carried by a pigeon. A delayed action shutter on the swing lens camera was set before the pigeon was released and gave a 3cm x 8cm exposure.

1915 - The clockwork-slit #5 Cirkut Camera was presented by the Folmer and Schwing Division of the Eastman Kodak Co. of Rochester, NY, and was patented by William F. Folmer in 1918. The camera could make a 360º exposure on 5" roll film and was the smallest most compact Cirkut manufactured.

1926 - The swing-lens 3A Kodak Panoram was announced by the Eastman Kodak Co. of Rochester, Ny. It made a 120º 3 1/4" x 10 3/8" picture on standard 122 roll film, and was patented by William A. Riddell in 1926.

1930 - Oscar Barnack, the famed German Leica Designer, made a swing-lens prototype 35mm panoramic camera. It was a crude example and, of course, did not enter production.

1931 - The clockwork-slit #6 Cirkut Camera was entered into production by Folmer-Graflex of Rochester, NY. This camera was capable of making a 360º picture on 6" roll film.

1932 - W.B. Osborne designed his Osborne Photo Recording Transit, a swing lens panoramic camera made by Lupold-Volpel of Portland, OR. It was used by the USDA Forest Service and turned out 120º 4" x 6" photographs.

1952 - The swing lens revolving slit Panon Wide Angle Camera made a

140º 2" x 4 1/2" picture on standard 120 roll film which was manufactured by the Panon Camera Co. Ltd. of Japan.

1953 - Milbo Photographic Ltd. of Milbough, England, made a modern version of the Cirkut Camera. It was all metal construction and powered by batteries.

1956 - Burke & James, Inc., of Chicago came out with their wide angle stationary Panoram 120 camera. It made 90º 2 1/4" x 7 " pictures on standard 120 roll film, it had detachable ground glass back and film magazines.

1958 - The swing-lens revolving slit Russian FT-2 35mm panoramic camera made a 120º 24mm x 110mm picture and was manufactured by the Krasnogorsk Mechanical Factory in Krasnogorsk, USSR.

1958 - Panorax Z1-A made by Nippon Tokushu Koki Co. of Kawaski, Japan, which used 35mm film and a traveling-slit shutter could make 360º pictures.

1959 - The swing lens revolving slit Widelux 35mm Model FV was introduced by the Panon Camera Co., Ltd., of Japan. It made 140º 25mm x 60mm negatives.

1960 - Veriwide 100 angle stationary camera made by Plaubel & Co. of Frankfurt, Germany produced 100º 6cm x 9cm pictures on 120 roll film.

1961 - Viscawide 16, a small rotating lens camera manufactured by Taiyokoki Co. Ltd. in Japan. It used 16mm film and created 120º 10mm x 46mm negatives.

1963 - Panophic with a traveling-slit shutter produced 140º 5cm x 12 cm on 120 roll film. It was built by the Panon Camera Co. of Japan.

1968 - Horizont, a 35mm pivoting lens camera made by Krasnogorski Mechanical Factory, Kransogorski, USSR, and produced 120º photographs.

1969 - Sea Gull RL-360 Panoramic camera manufactured by the Shanhei Camera Factory #4, China, which used 8" black and white roll film. The electrically driven camera can make 360º pictures. The Chinese produced this camera for their photographers to replace the aging #8 Cirkut outfits they have.

1973 - Cyclo-Pan 70 360º Panorama Slit Camera made by Third Media Enterprises in California. It is battery powered and uses 70mm film.

1976 - Linhof Technorama 612 PC, a fixed camera from Germany takes a 6cm x 12cm pictures on 120 roll film.

1976 - I-Pan, a stationary camera, made an 81º picture on 35mm film.

1977 - Art Panorama 240 with a Seiko shutter, manufactured by Tomiyama Seisakusho Co. of Japan on 120 film made a 60mm by 240mm image.

1978 - Brooks-Veriwide, a fixed camera, made by Burleigh Brooks, Inc. of Englewood, N.J. makes a 6cm x 12cm picture on 120 roll film.

1979 - Hulcherama Model 120 can make 360º photographs on 120 or 220 roll film. The slit camera is battery powered and made by the Charles A. Hulcher Co. of Hampton, VA.

1981 - Globuscope 360º 35mm slit camera with a fluid drive spring motor mechanism made by Globuscope Inc., New York City.

1982 - Fuji G617, a wide angle stationary camera manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co. of Japan, takes a 6cm x 17cm picture on 120 or 220 roll film.

1983 - Alpa Roto 70, a 360º slit camera battery powered by an electronically governed motor, produced by Alpa-Pignons S.A. of Switzerland, it uses 70mm or 220 roll film.

1986 - Electropan provided by Photo Connection of Laguna Hills, CA. which is a 145º rotating battery powered 120 roll film swing lens camera that takes a 2" x 4 3/4" photograph.

1987 - Widelux 1500 made by Panon Camera Shoko Co. of Japan is a

150º, 120 roll film swing lens camera that takes a 50mm x 122mm image.

1988 - Roundshot made by the Seitz Phototechnic AG, Switzerland, is available in four film sizes; 110, 35mm, 70mm-220 and 5 inch. The 360º slit camera is battery powered.

1990 - Cyclops Wide-eye, a 110º, 120 roll film, mechanical swing lens camera manufactured by Double W, Inc. of Gulliver, MI.

1990 - Corrales 360º slit scan 35mm camera produced by Corrales Camera, Whittier, CA. It is powered by a mechanical spring, handle for rotation. Also sold as Spinshot 35mm Panoramic Camera.

1991 - Pinoramic 120 uses 120 film and makes 2 1/4" x 5" 120º images. The camera is lensless using a pinhole for film exposure and is made by Mottweiler Photographic of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

1992 - V-Pan Panoramic Camera which is a 6cm x 17cm view camera using 120 film. Built by V-Pan Panoramic Cameras, St. Louis, MO.

1992 - Horizon 202 Panoramic uses 35mm film and takes a 120º 24mm x 58mm image. This Russian made swing lens camera is handled by Bogen Photo, Ramsey, NJ.

1992 - Nobles Pro make a 146º 50mm x 120mm image on 120 roll film. The rotating slit drum is battery powered and the camera is manufactured by Kamera Werke, Noble, Dresden. Germany.

1992 - Roundshot Super Camera made by Seitz of Switzerland and designed for use with Hasselblad bayonet lenses. Makes 360º images with battery power on changeable 70mm and 220 film magazines.

1993 - Cyclops Mark III One Forty made by Double W, Gulliver, MI. A

140º swing lens battery powered camera that uses 120 or 220 roll film.

1993 - Fuji GX617 from Japan, a fixed 6cm x 17cm format camera with three interchangeable lenses (90mm, 105mm, and 180mm) using 120 or 220 roll film

1994 - Noblex Pro 06/150 HS is a high speed 146º rotating lens Panorama camera made by Kamera Werke, Noble, Dresden, Germany that is battery powered and uses 120 roll film.

(some of this info attributed to Bill McBride)