Burke & James Inc. of Chicago was a camera manufacturer and importer of cameras and lenses. The company was established in 1897 by founders Henry Burke and David James. Products were sold via store front as well as mail order. 

The Watkins Meter Company was a maker of photographic light meters in Hereford, England. It was founded after Alfred Watkins received a patent on his light meter in 1890. The Standard Meter was at first made by R. Field & Co. of Birmingham; the Watkins company took over production in about 1900. The meter exposes a small area of a strip of light-sensitive paper, which darkens on exposure. The time for the sensitive paper to darken to match the tint of the surround of the slit is the third input parameter to calculate appropriate exposure time for a given f-stop and plate speed, with help of the instrument's calculation scales. The later Watkins Bee Meter is smaller, and shaped like a pocket watch, but its principle is the same. It exposes a small area of a disc of sensitive paper in a slit.

In excellent condition, this is a real photography collectable.