Using " A History of the Rochester, NY Camera and Lens Companies by Rudolf Kingslake,
http://www.nwmangum.com/Kodak/Rochester.html ,
Century Camera Company- founded in 1900; purchased by George Eastman in 1903; 1907 became the Century Division of Eastman Kodak, merged with Folmer and Schwing.
Folmer and Schwing Manufacturing Company incorporated in April 1890; April 1905 purchased by George Eastman; 1907 became the Folmer and Schwing Division of Eastman Kodak; 1917 became the Folmer-Century Division; 1926 became the Folmer Graflex Company; 1945 Graflex Corp.
From many post in
http://www.graflex.org/helpboard/ Folmer and Schwing put a serial number on each camera built but kept no record of those serial numbers. In 1907 it is assumed Mr. Schwing, the accountant of Folmer and Schwing, went out and purchased a single entry ledger. In that ledger was listed the work order number, the quantity, camera type, beginning serial number and ending serial number. In July 1922 they started listing the date the entry was made in the ledger. This ledger continued in use until 1962 when a second book was introduced. In 1973 a long time administrator took the serial number books with him as the door was closed for the last time. The book(s) were scanned and copies given to a few people with the understanding that it would never be made public, but that does not mean a holder of a copy cannot tell someone when their camera was made.
There is no way to know when a given camera was actually made as there may be a few days to two years between entries for a given model.
If the first entry was for 500 cameras those 500 serial numbers were assigned in sequence to that model. If the next entry was for 25 cameras then the next 25 serial numbers were assigned in sequence to that camera model. This pattern continued until 1947 or 1948 when a large block of numbers were set aside for Pacemaker Crowns and Pacemaker Speeds in each of their 3 formats. Some serial numbers were used two times by accident in the late 1950's or early 1960's. In 1960 Graflex started stamping a letter, number, letter date code on their products.
Now from the first serial number book:
16195-NA
121082- entry made 7-28-1922, 5 x 7 2D; #232 of 250.
135000- assigned to 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 RB Series B; 135400 5x7 2D; 136000 6 1/2 x 8 1/2 2D, all early 1924.
135865- assigned 1-9-1924, 5 x 7 2D; #365 of 500.
144860- assigned 4-23-1924, 8 x 10 2D; #10 of 400.
160268- assigned 2-15-1928, 8 x 10 2D; #277 of 500.
189999- assigned 11-20-1935, 5 x 7 2D, #85 of 150.
333745- in a batch of numbers skipped, assumed to be a military order, 1943-1944.
407056- assigned 9-23-1946, 8 x 10 2D; #283 of 300.
442899- assigned 8-16-1947, 8 x 10 2D; #128 of 300.
452499- assigned 12-8-1947, 8 x 10 2D; #169 of 300.
Cameras were built according to demand.
