I have been given a 5x7 Conley Camera. Manufactured in Rochester New York. It is red. ? rosewood. It is in excellent condition. Can anyone tell me how I can obtain information on the Conley Company. I assume this is an antique camera. I have been an amateur for some time but never heard of the Conley Camera

Thank you

-- Robert L Lombardo (baymeadow@riconnect.com), September 16, 1999

Answers

You might try here:

http://www.fiberq.com/cam/fcam.htm

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), September 16, 1999.

The Conley cameras were actually made by Conley Camera Company in Rochester MINNESOTA, not New York (odd coincidence)

I have one myself, a 5x7, with a patent date of September 9, 1902.

They made a lot of cameras for Sears, Roebuck, under different Sears brand names.

On Ebay recently there was a booklet for sale which had a history of that company, but I didn't get it.

I find the workmanship, especially the metal work, to be superior to a lot of other flat beds I've seen. Nice quality stuff.

I believe that Conley got absorbed into another company (Seebold?) in the late 1920s.

-- Michael Hendrickson (mhh@pacbell.net), September 23, 1999.

Hi, Robert: I have the same camera as you do. Made of cherry wood. For Sears, they made several types as the SeROCO. I still can not find any data about these beautiful Conley cameras. My, has a triple convertible lens a la Protar. Best, Tito.

-- Tito Sobrinho (z3sobrinho@prodigy.net), October 17, 1999.