Smith, Beck & Beck from London was founded by James Smith. He started a partnership with his former apprentice Richard Beck in 1847. Richard’s brother Joseph also joined the company and from 1857 it’s known as Smith, Beck & Beck[1].
The company was primarily an optical instrument maker and specialised in microscopes. It manufactured also stereoscopes and was a publisher of paper card stereoviews and glass stereoviews. Their attention to stereoscopy products was most likely prompted by the stereo craze in the 1850s. James Smith retired in 1865 and the company continued as R & J Beck[1].
References
- Encyclopedia of nineteenth-century photography, J. Hannavy, 2008
See also: blogposts about Smith, Beck & Beck