Sears

Tower 7. Picture by Mark Anderson. (Image rights)

. (Image rights)

Tower 57 Picture by Jwinfred. (Image rights)

(Image rights)

Tower 44 (Image rights)

Tower 44B Picture by OC Camera. (Image rights)

Tower Hide Away picture by (scary carrie)

Sears is the most famous mail order house in the world since its Chicago building Sears Tower was the highest in the world for a certain period. In the U.S.A. it was the greatest mail-order and retail vendor of consumer goods. It was founded by Richard W. Sears in 1886, starting as a reseller of watches in North Redwood, Minnesota. In 1887 Sears moved to Chicago and employed Alvah C. Roebuck as watch- and toolmaker. In 1893 Roebuck became partner in the company which then was renamed Sears, Roebuck & Co.. Like other great mail-order houses Sears had a house-brand for cameras, the Tower cameras which were all OEM products, made by different renowned camera makers of several countries. Some cameras were sold branded Sears, and a few under their original manufacturers.

Several Tower cameras were also made by Bilora. Sears lenses for SLRs were made by Ricoh. Conley was a partner of Sears & Roebuck. In 1924 Conley was owned by Sears, and bought Seneca. But the Seneca brand disappeared in 1926. In 1980 Sears, Roebuck and Co. was restructured and rebranded to Sears Merchandise Group.

Distributed cameras

Sears name	Comment	Original camera/manufacturer
Ansco Marvel S-20 brownie type box	Made for and sold by Sears as an Ansco	Ansco
Sears 3A	Kodak V122 film	Conley Kewpie No. 3A box camera 3.25x5.25
Sears Easi-Load FC 600	126 cartridges	Ricoh 126 C Automatic
Sears KS-1		Ricoh XR-6
Sears Model 600 Easi load FC	flash cube Instamatic	???
Sears Tower Reflex 65	Perhaps Tower Reflex 65 with meter - TLR also Tower 64, no meter	Walz
Sears Model 65	35mm viewfinder	Halina Paulette   F.C Halinar 45mm f2.8
Sears Model 65 RF	Halinar 45mm f2.8 lens	Halina
Sears Auto RF 35		Ricoh?
Sears RF 5		Ricoh
Sears RF 7		Ricoh
Sears 120 Disc	disc film
Sears 220 Disc	f 2.8, 12.5 mm, flash, motor
Sears 550 Disc	f 2.8, 12.5 mm, fully automatic
Sears 770 Disc	Telephoto, fully automatic
Seroco Junior		Conley Model VII
Tower 5	127 film	Bilora Bella
Tower 7	120 film	Brownie type box - Germany (Bilora)
Tower 8	box camera	Mfr? Germany
Tower 10A		Mamiya RF 48mm f:2.8 coated
Tower 10B		Mamiya 4B RF
Tower 14	pseudo-TLR box	Bilora Bonita 66
Tower 16	16mm submini spy cam	Mamiya-16
Tower 18		Olympus 35-S 4.2cm f1.8 external timer lever.
Tower 18A		Mamiya Ruby 48mm f/1.9
Tower 18B		Mamiya Ruby Standard
Tower 19		Olympus Ace E
Tower 20		Olympus Wide (no meter, not "E") f:2
Tower 20B		Mamiya RF 48mm f/1.7
Tower 22	SLR	Asahiflex IIA
Tower 23	SLR	Asahiflex IA and Asahiflex IIB
Tower 24	SLR	Asahiflex IIB
Tower 25 TLR		Airesflex (Nikkor lens)
Tower 26 SLR	SLR	Asahi Pentax (original) and Pentax S
Tower 29 SLR		Asahi Pentax K
Tower Reflex I or Tower 120 Flash	pseudo TLR	Ising Pucky I
Tower Reflex II	pseudo TLR	Photina from Photavit-Werk GmbH, Nurnberg, Germany
Tower Reflex III	pseudo TLR	Photina II from Photavit-Werk GmbH, Nurnberg, Germany
Tower Reflex 30	TLR	Photina Reflex IIIb from Photavit-Werk GmbH, Nurnberg, Germany
Sears 32B SLR		Rebadged Mamiya Prismat NP; Exakta-mount interchangeable lenses, c.1961 aka Tower 32B
Tower 33 Reflex	SLR	Braun Paxette Reflex
Tower 34	box camera (?)		Ansco
Tower 34 Reflex		Braun
Tower 35		Nicca III-S
Tower 37		Mamiya SLR
Tower 37A		Mamiya
Tower 39	very odd rectangular box with large bulb flash, also automatic; see also Sears 41, similar - (c.1961)	Mamiya Automatic 35 EEF
Tower 41		Mamiya, 1962
Tower 42		Nicca, 1954
Tower 43		Nicca, 1954
Tower 44		Toyoca-44
Tower 44B Super Matic	TLR	Halma 44
Tower 45		Nicca 5L f/2
Tower 46		Nicca f/1.4
Tower 50		Iloca Rapid, Vero Shutter, Cassar lens
Tower 51	(120 folding) some Sources indicate USC Rollex ca. 1950	Conley Camera Company 1955
Tower 51	(not folding 120, but 35mm) LH film advance. Also RH film advance model, also knob advance version all called Tower 51	Iloca Rapid B Steinheil Cassar lens 50mm f/2.8 made in Germany by Kamerawerke Wilhelm Witt, Hamburg, Germany. Compur - Rapid Shutter.
Tower 52	35mm	Iloca Rapid IIL as Tower 51 with light meter. copur-rapid shutter f:2.8 lens
Tower 53		Iloca, 1955 as Tower 52 with synchro compur shutter. f:2 lens
Tower 53B		Iloca, 1955
Tower 54		Olympus WideE 3.5cm lens f:3.5
Tower 55	35mm	PAX M4(?)
Tower 55B Tower 56 || || Pax Jr (Yamato); Color Luna Lens 45mm f3.5 Olympus 35S1 3.5 (no S on body)
Tower 57	35mm	Samoca 35 M-28 (AKA Hanimex A35)
Tower 57A	35mm	Samoca LE
Tower 60	120	Franka Solida (IIIR,E?)  80mm f2.9 Schneider-Kreuznach Radonar lens. Prontor-SVS shutter B, 1-300
Tower Flash 120	120	Bilora box
Tower 127		Mamiya ??
Tower 32B (c.1963)		Mamiya Prismat NP Mamiya-Sekor lens, Exakta/Topcon mnt?
Tower 4×5 Pressman		Busch 4x5 Pressman
Tower Automatic 35		Mamiya ???
Tower Camflash 127	see also: Tower,Sears 39	Mamiya
Tower Colorette	Rangefinder	Braun Super Colorette
Tower Companion 1960		Imperial, similar to Debonair
Tower Hide Away		same as Imperial Mark 27
Tower Reflex 1	box camera 120	Probably Bilora
Tower Skipper	127 brownie box size, made in USA	Imperial, similar to Imperial Satellite[1]
Tower Snappy		Imperial Savoy
Tower Stereo		Iloca ??
Tower Synchroflash		Bilora Bella
Tower Type 3		Nicca III
Tower Type 3S		Nicca, Leotax?
Trumpfreflex		Reflecta (Richter Reflecta)

Links

• Sears Cameras at www.collection-appareils.fr
• Sears camera manuals at www.orphancameras.com