Harry Arthur Crowhurst (14 March 1868 – 8 December 1943) was a photographer, optician and partner in a lantern and optical supply business.

Life and Times

In 1868, Crowhurst was born at St George the Martyr,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He was the son of William Henry and Julia Ann Crowhurst. He had one brother, Walter William, and 2 sisters, Ellen Mable and Julia May. In 1943, he died at

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

, England. In 1891, the Census of England and Wales noted that Crowhurst, age 23, had the occupation as

optician An optician, or ''dispensing optician'', is a technical practitioner who designs, fits and dispenses lenses for the correction of a person's vision. Opticians determine the specifications of various ophthalmic appliances that will give the nec ...

. In 1900, he teamed with Harold Armytage Sanders to form the firm of Sanders and Crowhurst. In 1901, the Census of England and Wales noted that Crowhurst, age 33, listed occupation as

. In May 1905, Crowhurst married the daughter of James Williamson, noted film pioneer, and took over the Williamson business.

W. Watson and Son

W. Watson and Son was an optical instrument maker. In 1837, the William Watson business was established in

for the manufacture of

optical instruments An optical instrument (or "optic" for short) is a device that processes light waves (or photons), either to enhance an image for viewing or to analyze and determine their characteristic properties. Common examples include periscopes, microscopes ...

. By the 1840s, the company moved into

lanterns A lantern is an often portable source of lighting, typically featuring a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle or a wick in oil, and often a battery-powered light in modern timesto make it easier to carry and h ...

, slides and associated equipment. In 1868, the name was changed to W. Watson & Son and by this time were located at 313 High Holborn, London. In the 1870s, the company added

photographic Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed i ...

equipment and became known as a leading manufacturer of the ''Highest Class Photographic Instruments and Apparatus'' in England. Into the 1940s, the company remained at 313

High Holborn High Holborn ( ) is a street in Holborn and Farringdon Without, Central London, which forms a part of the A40 route from London to Fishguard. It starts in the west at the eastern end of St Giles High Street and runs past the Kingsway and Sou ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Sanders & Crowhurst

Established in 1900, Crowhurst teamed with Harold Armytage Sanders to form the firm of Sanders and Crowhurst that became an agent for

W. Watson and Son W. Watson and Son was an optical instrument maker. In 1837, the William Watson business was established in London for the manufacture of optical instruments. By the 1840s, the company moved into lanterns, slides and associated equipment. In 1868, ...

. The going interest was to serve as lantern and slide dealers and also offer service as opticians. The

partnership A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments o ...

dissolved on 21 October 1908. When the partnership dissolved in 1908, Sanders continued in business as Sanders and Company at the Shaftesbury Avenue address, and Crowhurst continued in business at the

Hove Hove is a seaside resort and one of the two main parts of the city of Brighton and Hove, along with Brighton in East Sussex, England. Originally a "small but ancient fishing village" surrounded by open farmland, it grew rapidly in the 19th cen ...

branch location.Editor. (27 October 1908). Sanders & Crowhurst, announce dissolution of partnership. London Gazette.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowhurst, Harry 1868 births 1943 deaths Health professionals from London British opticians Optical engineers