Date of use : 1890 USA

Frank N. Blake Dry Plate Company History

Frank N. Blake Gelatino-Bromide Dry Plate Company operated in the town of North Adams, Massachusetts, as a partnership between Frank N. Blake and F. A. Tarble. The exact founding date of the company is unknown, but the earliest records date back to 1896–1897.

Frank N. Blake (full name Frank Noyes Blake, 1854–1947) was an engineer living in North Adams. His article titled "Photography at Sea," published in The Philadelphia Photographer in 1883, demonstrates his early interest in photography and his willingness to share knowledge in the field. Later, Blake ventured into photographic materials production in his own town and played a pioneering role in establishing the company. In his later years, he worked in municipal engineering and local government; between 1937 and 1940, he obtained secondary patents for devices related to water pipe detection.

Although there are no patent records specifically associated with Blake Dry Plate Company, the firm manufactured commercially using existing emulsion technologies. Its main product, gelatino-bromide dry plates, were negatives consisting of silver bromide (and sometimes other silver salts) crystals suspended in a gelatin binder on a glass surface. This method differed significantly from the traditional wet-collodion process. Dry plates could be prepared in advance and stored, eliminating the need for a darkroom and providing photographers with great convenience. Photographers could carry plates with them and shoot at any time, enjoying unprecedented freedom. These plates served as the photographic medium in both large- and small-format sheet cameras and were widely used for portrait, landscape, and documentary photography. According to a user from 1896, the plates produced by Blake Dry Plate Co. were "rapid and consistently reliable, producing excellent results every time."

The gelatino-bromide dry plate process was developed in the early 1870s by Richard Maddox and revolutionized photography. This innovation replaced the wet-collodion method, which was common between 1850 and 1880, with pre-prepared plates that could be stored for long periods. In the 1880s, entrepreneurs like George Eastman commercialized this technology, laying the foundation for modern photography. Established in 1881, the Eastman Dry Plate Company was one of the pioneers of this new era. Blake Dry Plate Company operated in the same technological context during this period.

Blake Dry Plate Company appears to have been a medium-sized manufacturing business. Its advertisements indicate that it sold not only dry plates but also photographic chemicals, films, and equipment—"all kinds of photographic supplies"—serving both amateur photographers and professional studios. Products were promoted through city directories and photography magazines, with a sales network extending across the Northeastern United States.

Publications from 1896 and the 1897 North Adams city directory confirm that the company was active during that time. The directory includes the following entry:

"F. N. Blake, F. A. Marble. Blake Dry Plate Company. Manufacturers of Gelatino-Bromide Dry Plates, and dealers in Photographic Supplies of Every Description."

However, by the early 1900s, the company no longer appears in directories, indicating that it likely ceased operations before the 1900s. Therefore, the commercial lifespan of Blake Dry Plate Company was probably limited to the late 1890s and early 1900s.

Today, although the name or brand of Blake Dry Plate Company no longer exists, the legacy of gelatino-bromide dry plate technology continues to influence modern photography. This technique formed the basis of 20th-century analog film and printing technologies, with silver-salt gelatin-based systems becoming a standard in photography. This small but innovative enterprise in North Adams remains a quiet yet important witness to the history of photography.

Record Information

Title: Frank N. Blake Dry Plate Company History

Category: Photographic Technology History / Manufacturing History

Subcategory: Dry Plate Manufacturing / American Photographic Industry

Country: United States

City: North Adams, Massachusetts

Date: Active c. 1890

Company: Frank N. Blake Gelatino-Bromide Dry Plate Company (Blake Dry Plate Company)

Founders: Frank Noyes Blake (1854-1947) and F. A. Tarble (also recorded as F. A. Marble)

Key Product: Gelatino-bromide dry plates (glass negatives)

Additional Products: Photographic chemicals, films, and equipment ("all kinds of photographic supplies")

Technological Context: Post-1871 dry plate revolution (following Richard Maddox's development of gelatin emulsion)

Object Type: Advertising card / trade card

Language: English

Material: Printed card stock

Dimensions: Standard trade card format

Collection Theme: Dry plate manufacturing history, American regional photographic industry, gelatino-bromide technology

Archival Significance: This item documents a small but significant American dry plate manufacturer operating in the 1890s. Frank N. Blake's company represents the wave of entrepreneurial ventures that commercialized gelatino-bromide technology following Richard Maddox's breakthrough. Operating in North Adams, Massachusetts, alongside contemporaries like Eastman in Rochester, Blake's firm supplied dry plates and photographic supplies to photographers in the Northeastern United States. The company's short lifespan (c.1896-1900) illustrates the competitive nature of the early photographic manufacturing industry. Frank Noyes Blake's multifaceted career—photographer, engineer, municipal official, and inventor—exemplifies the diverse backgrounds of individuals who contributed to photography's technological development. This item is a valuable primary source for understanding the regional diffusion of dry plate technology and the commercial infrastructure that supported American photography in the late 19th century.

Research Note:

This article is based on historical research and independent analysis of the material in the author's collection. The text has been prepared as an original interpretative study and does not reproduce copyrighted material.

This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
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