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About Frank van Neck
- Frank Lionel Milton van Neck (25 August 1873 – 8 March 1953) was the founder of a firm of manufacturing opticians that later became Peeling and Van Neck, manufacturers of the Van Neck press camera.
- Frank van Neck was born in London on 25 August 1873, son of William Grant Neck (1835–1884), a stencil plate engraver, and Louisa Milton (c.1842–1932).
- He married Annette Rachel Howcroft (1869–1945) in 1899.He founded Van Neck and Co, manufacturing opticians, around 1897.
- Their first premises were at 72 Buckingham Gate and 11 Cursiter Street, but by 1910 they had moved to 32 Grays Inn Road.
- In 1921 they merged with another manufacturing optician, R.
- E.
- Peeling, to become Peeling and Van Neck, with workshops at 32 Grays Inn Road and a showroom at 4-6 Holborn Circus.
- Peeling and Van Neck Limited of 4-6 Holborn Circus imported photographic and cinematographic cameras, projectors, film and equipment, especially Goerz.
- In 1927, The Times reported that real advances had been made in colour photography by Messrs.
- Van Neck and Co in their transparencies made on “Lignosa” [or Lignose] natural colour film packs and roll films, which pre-dated Kodachrome and Agfacolor.
- The firm was best known for its portable Van Neck press camera which became widely used by press photographers until the 1950s.
- The firm remained at Holborn Circus until around 1955, later moving to 79 Turnmill Street and then 120 Albert Street.
- There is no connection between Frank van Neck and the 1890s Belgian camera maker, Louis Van Neck.
- Frank van Neck of Norman Cottage, Cookham, died in hospital at Maidenhead on 8 March 1953, leaving £15,634.
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