The 2022 New England Journal of Photographic History, #180, begins over 100 years before the McDonald’s empire of franchises spread across the world. A New England father and son built a comparable enterprise involving photography. It is the fascinating story of Simon Wing and the 90-year dynasty he and his son, Harvey, built in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. The keystone of their enterprise was a patented “multiplying” camera, allowing multiple images on a single photographic plate. Rather than selling this revolutionary camera directly, Simon designed a complex network of franchises, partnerships, and affiliations, involving not only cameras, but all the supplies necessary to operate a successful studio. The Journal also explores the public and private lives of these two men, including Simon’s 1892 run as America’s first Socialist Labor Party candidate for President. Four, richly illustrated, articles tell a truly engaging story, supplemented by 300+ pages of online information.

Order your copy of the 2022 PHSNE Journal from MagCloud

Published by: PHSNE – The Photographic Historical Society of New England, Inc.

Standard 8.25″ x 10.75″ 126 pages; 100 illustrations;  Perfect-bound © 2023

PHSNE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit society. Founded in 1973, our members bring their curiosity, enthusiasm, and knowledge to bear on every aspect of photo history, from the earliest experiments to the present day—and tomorrow. We welcome your participation and support of our society.

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2022 PHSNE Journal – Online Supplementary Materials

The PHSNE 2022 Journal Committee is pleased to present the following material which greatly expands the print version of this issue. Our sincere thanks to PHSNE member, Joe Walters, for his advice and technical support in making these items accessible online.

Simon Wing: The Early Days in New England, by Ron Polito & Marcel Safier.

Table 1: Wing’s Boston Area Activity.
WingBostonArea (2-3-2023).pdf

Appendix B, Photographic Patent Wars, Table 1: Boston Photographers Cited in 19th Century American Photographic Journals.
(I) IntroBasics-Citations (2-3-2023).pdf
(II) IntroDetails-Citations (2-3-2023).pdf
(III) Keywords-Citations (2-3-2023).pdf
(IV) BiblioInfo-Citations (2-3-2023).pdf
(V) Database-Citations (2-3-2023).xls

Simon Wing’s Tintype Empire: His North American and Trans-Pacific Expansion, by Marcel Safier.

Appendix B: Transcription of Simon Wing’s Personal Notebook, detailing a sales trip to New York City and Philadelphia, c. 1899 – 1903.
S-WingNotebook (2-3-2023).pdf

Appendix E: Listings of Wing affiliations in North America, Australia, and New Zealand, by date and location.
S-WingTinTypeEmpire (6-5-2023).pdf

AddendaErrata (10-15-2023)

Information discovered after publication and any errata.
AddendaErrata (10-15-23).pdf

S. Wing & Company: Brilliance and Opportunity in the Lives and Work of Simon & Harvey T. Wing, by Randel Mott-Cobb.

Appendix A: Analysis of the 1890 S. Wing & Company’s Photographic Apparatus and Materials catalogue.
S-Wing1890Catalogue (3-3-23).pdf

Appendix B. “Low Prices,” an article by Harvey T. Wing in The Boston Photographic Review, arguing how photographic business owners are affected by financial trends, putting the blame for forced low prices squarely on wealthy capitalists.
LowPrices-BostonPhotographicReview-1-6-1890 (3-3-23).pdf

Appendix C. The Political Demands of the Socialist Labor Party, from George F. Cram’s 1911 Unrivaled Atlas of the World.
SocialistLaborPartyDemands-1911 (3-3-23).pdf

Previously Published Research on Simon and Harvey Wing.

New England Journal of Photographic History, Issue 176, 2018 (Waltham, Massachusetts: Photographic Historical Society of New England, 2019) This issue contains three essays on the Simon Wing family:

Discovering Simon Wing’s Hidden Collection, by Randel Mott-Cobb;

Well, It’s Complicated. A History of the Towne, Ober, and Towne & Whitney Studios of Massachusetts, by John Felix;

Simon Wing and His Marvelous Machine, Peter H. and Barbara W. Schultz.

An annotated 2018 PHSNE Journal is available for viewing. The printed version of the issue and an un-watermarked PDF is available for sale at MagCloud 2018 PHSNE Journal.

Mike Kessler, “The Final Wing,” the Photographist, # 63 (Whittier, California: Western Photographic Collectors Association, Inc., Summer 1984) 14-17. Kessler describes his passion for collecting S. Wing & Company material (Simon and Harvey Wing), and a detailed description of the firm’s last camera patent, awarded on January 20, 1914.
Kessler on Wing 1984.pdf

Mike Kessler, “After Simon Wing: Photography Was Never Quite The Same,” the Photographist, #102/103, (Whittier, California: Western Photographic Collectors Association, Inc., Summer/Fall 1994) 6-47. A description of Kessler’s acquisition of Wing’s photographic material and a detailed, richly illustrated history of the S. Wing & Company (Simon and Harvey Wing).
Kessler on Wing 1994.pdf

Tribute to Mike Kessler, collector and photo-historian; heavily illustrated with photographs of his collection.
KesslerMemoriam (original site, a link off the PHSNE site)
KesslerMemoriam (captured 2023-01-04 by web.archive.org, a link off the PHSNE site)

Post updated: 06-15-26