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Charles H Roth?? History buffs!

 
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 3:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okay Graflex history buffs, here's a question...

Have any information on Charles H Roth???

I did a patent search after realizing that my "new" Century Universal had a patent number (the older models don't have one). Then I managed to get a copy of the patent, filed on February 9, 1929 and granted on May 5, 1931.

The listed inventor is:

"Charles H Roth , of Rochester, New York, Assignor to the Folmer Graflex Corporation, of Rochester, New York, a Corporation of Delaware"

The "a Corporation of Delaware" is a bit confusing?

Other than a middle school in Rochester being named the "Charles H Roth Middle School", I can find no other information about this person. Anyone out there know anything???
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Henry



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 1636
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 6:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lots of companies incorporate in Delaware because of favorable laws there. The actual location of the corporation does not have to be physically in Delaware. As for
Charles H. Roth, did you try a google search? And there must be someone at that school who knows something about him?
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 7:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So what part of the CU did Mr. Roth invent? He certainly can't take credit for the camera, since it wasn't a Graflex camera to begin with.
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Dan Fromm



Joined: 14 May 2001
Posts: 2118
Location: New Jersey

PostPosted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 8:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-09-26 12:47, Les wrote:
So what part of the CU did Mr. Roth invent? He certainly can't take credit for the camera, since it wasn't a Graflex camera to begin with.
Rich, take the patent number, go to http://www.uspto.gov, and search for it.

To read the file you'll need a .tif reader. Richard Knoppow recommends alternatiff, freeware from http://www.alternatiff.com. I use it and like it.

Cheers,

Dan
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-09-26 13:29, Dan Fromm wrote:
Quote:

On 2004-09-26 12:47, Les wrote:
So what part of the CU did Mr. Roth invent? He certainly can't take credit for the camera, since it wasn't a Graflex camera to begin with.
Rich, take the patent number, go to http://www.uspto.gov, and search for it.

To read the file you'll need a .tif reader. Richard Knoppow recommends alternatiff, freeware from http://www.alternatiff.com. I use it and like it.

Cheers,

Dan


Umm, "Then I managed to get a copy of the patent, filed on February 9, 1929 and granted on May 5, 1931."

Gotten, printed out and read through... That's how I got the Roth name...


As far as what part he "invented", ya got me. My guess would be that they had the camera planned in 1924 when they left Kodak. Went into production supposedly somewhere between '26 and '28? By '29, someone decided they better patent the thing and they needed a single name to file. I have no idea how Roth was involved, but it's his name on the paper work so he gets the credit in history...

I have done quite a few searches. There's a not-so-well-known composer of that name. I found a professor in Texas that was even a "Jr.". Sent him an e-mail in the hopes that he was related. Got a reply today and he's not... Then there's the middle school with no info on their web site...

It all just adds to the mystery of why the Century Universal was almost completely forgotten from history after being regarded as the "best camera ever made" in 1931 and many of the most famous photographers of that time using one. It's partially this that adds to my obsession with the camera. I think it deserves a better place in history, and I can't find any information at all... Even Adams mentions this camera simply as "my 8x10"... Too bad I didn't start 30 or 40 years ago when some of the people involved would have still been alive....
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So post this patent or at least the number, so we can see!

BTW I sent an email to roth middle school asking for a bio paragraph.

Les
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alecj



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 853
Location: Alabama

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rich:

Don't give up now. You've just begun to search.

Send an inquiry to the Library in the city where you think he lived [Rochester?]. Also, the library at RIT. They have people just waiting to do research like this.

Also, send one to the Eastman House, and maybe some other large photographic-related museums.

What about sending an inquiry to the Board of Education where that school is located? SOMEBODY there has some info on Roth.

All you've done is confirm there isn't an EASY solution. Now the real fun begins.

Good luck.

Alec
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, geeeesss, give me some time here

I'm having enough trouble trying to figure out how to use a new cell phone....

Okay, a PDF version of the patent is now avaiable at:
http://www.southbristolviews.com
under "Gralfex manuals".

The patent number is: 1804061

And Mr Roth states "I claim as my invention:", and lists the various unique qualities of the CU.

Yep, I have a lot of research yet to do, but time is a killer... And now I have to grab the patents for the GVII, I, Crown and Speeds... They're more fun than the service manuals to read
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glennfromwy



Joined: 29 Nov 2001
Posts: 903
Location: S.W. Wyoming

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the key to the whole thing lies in the word "assignor" and in the context in which it was used. Who actually did the "assigning" and to whom? There is a common practice where a person working for a firm must agree to sign over any inventions invented while in the employ of the firm,to that firm. A path to follow? Maybe.

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Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"
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