Sargent & Greenleaf traffic control division

Sargent & Greenleaf is an old and successful company. But like many companies they ventured out into new fields from time to time and this morning I was surprised by an eBay auction (http://www.ebay.com/itm/252715819110) for a traffic monitoring camera with an S&G label on it. The relevant patent 2,114,024 was issued in 1938, and the "Rochester" places it some time before 1975 (or 1974). Looking at the unit, it appears to me 1940s or maybe early 1950s.

I had never heard of the "Phototraffic" Controls Division. And the fact it's leased by S&G suggests they were not the manufacturer but that's not guaranteed. This could have been a spin-off of bank surveillance business but I'd expect the cameras to be very different. I did not find "Phototraffic" as a US Trademark.

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Originally Posted by wylk

Sargent & Greenleaf is an old and successful company. But like many companies they ventured out into new fields from time to time and this morning I was surprised by an eBay auction (http://www.ebay.com/itm/252715819110) for a traffic monitoring camera with an S&G label on it. The relevant patent 2,114,024 was issued in 1938, and the "Rochester" places it some time before 1975 (or 1974). Looking at the unit, it appears to me 1940s or maybe early 1950s.

I had never heard of the "Phototraffic" Controls Division. And the fact it's leased by S&G suggests they were not the manufacturer but that's not guaranteed. This could have been a spin-off of bank surveillance business but I'd expect the cameras to be very different. I did not find "Phototraffic" as a US Trademark.

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I have no knowledge whatever of this product however the phrase leased by suggests to me that the device was leased to a third party by S&G and was not allowed to be sold outright!
Since Eastman Kodak was also based in Rochester and this appears to be a film camera, perhaps it was a co-operative venture between the two? Just making educated guesses here.

Pete Schifferli