Negretti and Zambra facts for kids
Negretti and Zambra was a famous British company. They made scientific tools and optical instruments like telescopes. They also had a photographic studio in London. The company was active for a long time, from 1850 until about 1985.
Contents
History of Negretti and Zambra
How the Company Started
Henry Negretti (born in Italy in 1818) and Joseph Zambra (born in England in 1822) started their business together in 1850. Henry Negretti's full name was Enrico Angelo Lodovico Negretti. Joseph Zambra was the son of Joseph Cezare Zambra and Phyllis Warren.
Working for Royalty
Their company became very well-known. They were even chosen as official opticians and instrument makers for important people like Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and King Edward VII. They also worked for the Royal Observatory and the British Admiralty (the British Navy).
Photography at the Crystal Palace
When the Crystal Palace was rebuilt in Sydenham in 1854, Negretti and Zambra became the official photographers. This meant they could take pictures inside and outside the new building. They used this chance to create many stereographs. These were special photos that looked 3D when viewed with a stereoscope.
Exploring the World Through Photos
In 1856, Negretti and Zambra helped fund a photography trip to Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia. This trip was led by a photographer named Francis Frith. Between 1857 and 1860, the company produced over 500 stereographs from Frith's journey.
Negretti and Zambra also personally photographed Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. They printed these photos and gave them to visitors at the Crystal Palace. This allowed people to compare the real house with a model displayed there.
Between 1855 and 1857, Negretti and Zambra asked photographer Pierre Rossier to travel to China. He was meant to document the Second Opium War. Even though he couldn't join the army, he took many stereographs and other photos of China, Japan, the Philippines, and Siam (which is now Thailand). These were the first commercial photos of these countries published by Negretti and Zambra.
Pioneering Aerial Photography
In May 1863, Henry Negretti took the first aerial photographs of London. He did this from a balloon piloted by Henry Coxwell. This was a very new and exciting way to take pictures!
Publishing Books
In 1865, Negretti and Zambra also published a book called A Treatise on Meteorological Instruments. This book was about weather instruments. They also published stereoscopic glass slides of Java, taken by Francis Woodbury.
Company Changes
In 1985, another company called Meggitt, which makes airplane electronics, bought Negretti and Zambra. This marked the end of Negretti and Zambra as an independent company.
Gallery
-
Negretti Zambra telescope
-
Negretti Zambra telescope. Detail showing eyepiece.
-
Leather case containing Negretti Zambra telescope
See also
- Pierre Rossier, a photographer who worked for Negretti and Zambra
- Aylesbury F.C., a football team that started as the company's team
- Zambretti Forecaster, a device for predicting weather
