Argus Museum

Story

The Argus Museum, located on the second floor of 525 West William, Ann Arbor, Michigan, features products manufactured by the Argus camera company and tells the stories of the company, the people involved and showcases unique collections connected to Argus. The museum is housed in the Argus I Building, which was one of the facilities where Argus products were manufactured.The mission of the Argus Museum is to collect and preserve Argus Camera Incorporated products (including those manufactured under its prior names), publications and history of the company and its employees, to research the products and the people who were involved in the development and manufacturing of these products, to insure these collections are available for others to research, and to interpret and display the collections for public viewing to promote knowledge and appreciation of Argus.History and description of the museumEstablished in 1987 with the acquisition of the Don Wallace Collection, the museum’s holdings include the rare 75, A4, C3 and C4 camera “giants”, experimental model 12s, each with a different type of collapsing lens; and, various colors of the model A camera, favorites of collectors. Variations of the Model C3 camera, a common model of which over two million were sold, are on view. Employee memorabilia, including profit-sharing documents, employee identification badges and items related to the many sports and activities that Argus sponsored are also on display. Products that were manufactured under the company's names of International Radio Corporation, International Research Corporation, International Industries Incorporated, Argus Incorporated, and finally as Argus Camera Incorporated, are included in the displays. Many of company's cameras, projectors, viewers, meters and accessories, as well as darkroom equipment, manufactured throughout its history are exhibited.