Panoramic cameras have been produced for at least 150 years, as of 1994, in various types and
sizes around the world. Most of the cameras listed produce an image of at least 110 degrees wide
and many take a picture of 360 degrees, a full circle. Obviously, there were other panoramic
cameras patented and made by their inventors that are not included in this list. The
writer has researched hundreds of United States patents of photographic items, like a folding
panoramic camera, panoramic attachments, etc., that the inventor was apparently not able to sell
to a manufacturer. Many inventors patented their device with the intention of getting wealthy.
They usually wound up being the only user of their own invention and that would be the end of
it. Most were not commercially produced. There were also a number of American and foreign
military panoramic cameras manufactured that are not included in this text. A few of the
American military manufacturers were Fairchild, Hylon, Actron, Solar Aircraft, Perkin Elmer,
ITEX, CAI and others. An 1843 Austria patent was discovered several years ago by Steven
Morton, of Australia, which starts off the panoramic camera list made for the period of
1843 through 1994. Excerpted from www.panoramicphoto.com/timeline.htm

During and shortly after the end of WW1, panoramic cameras producing unique wide angle photos were used to take photos of whole airfields, full infantry companies and newly trained groups of soldiers and sailors. The National World War 1 museum in Kansas City, MO exhibited a few and I became interested in them and collected these photos from online sites.

Under the Navy topic, you'll find close-ups from the panoramic group photo of sailors mustering-out of the US Navy in St. Louis, MO. Some interesting faces...