1480
was established in Melbourne in 1886 which operated
semi-independently for many years.
It also made a series of portrait, rapid rectilinear,
wide-angle and landscape lenses which were later fi t-
ted with iris diaphragms. Their Holostigmat Convert-
ible of 1905 was computed by Alexander E Conrady
(1866–1944) the fi rm’s optical advisor who was later
professor of optics at Imperial College.
Watson was active in areas allied to photography.
In 1895 it entered the new area of Röntgen (or X-ray)
photography making apparatus in its own works and
giving demonstrations in London hospitals. In 1911
a separate branch was established to handle this fi eld
and Watson & Sons (Electro-Medical) Ltd was incor-
porated in 1915, eventually becoming part of GEC. It
was briefl y involved with cinematography, introducing
in late 1896 its Motograph, a well-regarded compact
35mm camera/projector for amateur use. Films were
also supplied.
During the early twentieth century until the Second
World War, the fi rm continued to sell its Premier tail-
board, Acme fi eld and Alpha hand and refl ex cameras
but photography became secondary to the manufacture
of scientifi c and optical instruments. One notable excep-
tion was the granting of a patent (current untraced) to
the company with A C Edwards in 1909 for an antinous
release, more generically known as a cable release. Wat-
son was the sole licensee and had sales in the hundreds
of thousand.
During the Second World War, it subcontracted the
making of cameras to Gandolfi while it concentrated
on producing optical munitions. After the war the last
family connection with the fi rm was severed in 1949
when W E Watson-Baker sold his interest to Captain
James Cook, a fi nancier and other than the standard
Premier camera only special purpose cameras were
then advertised.
Michael Pritchard
See also: X-ray Photography.
Further Reading
Norman Channing, and Mike Dunn. British Camera Makers. An
A-Z Guide to Companies and Products, Claygate: Parkland
Designs, 1996.
WATTLES, JAMES M. (B. 1812)
The only reference to James Wattles in contemporary
accounts of the evolution of photography comes from
a meeting between Wattles and Henry Hunt Snelling,
recounted in Snelling’s 1849 book The History and
Practice of the Art of Photography.
According to Snelling, Wattles, of New Harmony,
Indiana, claimed to have successfully made paper nega-
tives with his camera obscura as early as 1828, at the
age of only sixteen.
After meeting Wattles, who was ‘wholly ignorant
of even the fi rst principles of chemistry, and natural
philosophy,’ Snelling became convinced of Wattles’
claim to have produced ‘solar picture drawings’ on
paper soaked in what Wattles described as ‘caustic’ and
then ‘common potash.’ After exposures of 45 minutes,
he then fi xed them in a salt solution and assured Snel-
ling that he ‘plainly perceived the effect, in the gradual
darkening of various parts of the view, which was the
old stone fort in the rear of the school garden, with
the trees, fences, &c.’ Despite the imperfection of his
efforts, Wattles reportedly persevered with his experi-
ments and was increasingly satisfi ed with the results.
He offered Snelling several names who could support
his claim, but no further account of his experiments
have been traced.
John HannavyWATZEK, HANS (1848–1903)
German photographer
Hans (Johann Josef) Watzek was born on December 20,
1848, in Bílina/Tschechien to a buyer. He visited the
academies of arts in Leipzig and Munich and worked
toward end of the 1860s as a freelance artist. In Vienna
Watzek received training as an art teacher in 1872 at
the college of arts and crafts. He taught in Boehmen
and established himself starting from 1875 in Vienna.
In 1891 he joined a group of amateur photographers in
Vienna (the later Camera Club Vienna). By experiments
with a simple pinhole camera and the “Monokel” (a
simple achromatic eyeglass lens, which is used as a lens
in a camera) he, began to consciously use Unschaerfe
(blurring) as style means. He dedicated himself to the
landscape of his immediate surroundingsof Vienna. In
1893 he was accepted as a member of the Linked Ring
Brotherhood London. Together with Heinrich Kühn and
Hugo Henneberg, Watzek developed in 1896 multiple
gum prints. He was, with Kühn and Henneberg one of
the Vienna trifolium from 1897, marking his work with
a three-leafed clover symbol. Watzek is considered one
the most important Austria Pictorialists. He published
numerous articles on primarily technical topics in Ger-
man-language technical periodicals. Watzek died on
May 12, 1903, in Vienna after a long illness.
Astrid LechnerWAXED PAPER PROCESS
When Gaspard Feix Tournachon called, Nadar (1820–
1910) wrote in his memoirs “Photography whistled and
Le Gray came running.” He characterized the exuberant