R.D. Gray’s Vest Camera

New York, NY
ca. 1886

Ex-collection Michael Kramer

This metal, disc-like camera was the pre-cursor to the better known Stirn’s Vest Camera and was invented by R.D. Gray in New York, NY around 1886 and manufactured by the Western Electric Company. It was worn under a specially-made false vest and took six exposures, 1 5/8” in diameter, on a 5 1/2” diameter dry plate.

It was the epitome of a concealed “detective camera”. The lens protruded through a button hole in the vest, and the shuttler release had a string attached that passed under the vest to the photographer’s hand. Later in 1886 C.P. Stirn purchased the rights to the camera and different designs were introduced until around 1892.