Kilburn brothers
Region: United States Period: 1850–1890 / 1890–1930 Occupation: PublisherThe company of Benjamin West Kilburn and Edward Kilburn was a publisher of stereoviews and an early precursor of the mass production and sale of stereoviews in the United States.
The company made the production process for stereoviews more efficient, enabling its factory in Littleton, New Hampshire to produce about 3,000 stereoviews per day in the early 1870s. Edward Kilburn withdrew from the business in 1877, after which it was continued by Benjamin Kilburn under the name B. W. Kilburn.
Under Benjamin Kilburn’s direction, the company continued to innovate. The curved stereoview was introduced in the late 1870s. B. W. Kilburn also began selling stereoviews door to door, making the publisher a retailer as well.
B. W. Kilburn ended production in 1909. The company’s business model had a major influence on later publishers, including Underwood & Underwood.
Related items: Curved stereoview Underwood & UnderwoodPeople:
Benjamin West Kilburn* 10 December 1827, Littleton, New Hampshire, United States † 15 January 1909, Littleton, New Hampshire, United StatesEdward Kilburn
* 27 February 1830, Littleton, New Hampshire, United States † 1884
Further reading:
- Darrah, William C.. The World of Stereographs (1977) , pp. 45-46
- "Benjamin W. Kilburn" in: Wikipedia. via: en.wikipedia.org