Endō
Endō[1] was a Japanese distributor at the beginning of the 1950s.
The first mention observed of the company is dated 1951. Until about April 1953 it was called Gōshi-gaisha Endō Kamera-ten (㈾遠藤カメラ店, i.e. Endō camera shop(s)) and was based in Itabashi (Tokyo).[2] It distributed the Semi Blond and Semi Frank 4.5×6 folders in 1951.[3] It was also the distributor of various goods with the brand name "Pigeon", such as the Pigeon 35 and Pigeonflex.
From about June 1953 it adopted the name Endō Shashin Yōhin K.K. (エンドー写真用品㈱, i.e. Endō photographic supplies) and moved to Kyōbashi (Tokyo).[4] It continued the sell the Pigeon products until at least 1956. It also briefly distributed the Rocky Semi 4.5×6 folder made by Umemoto in 1954.[5]
Distributed cameras
Notes
- ↑ Endō is a fairly common family name in Japan.
- ↑ Its address from 1951 to April 1953 was Tōkyō-to Itabashi-ku Itabashi 5-chōme 892-banchi (東京都板橋区板橋5丁目892番地). Source: advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, pp. 162–4 and 178.
- ↑ Semi Blond: advertisement dated April 1951 reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 178. Semi Frank: mention in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 362.
- ↑ Its address from June 1953 to 1956 was Tōkyō-to Chūō-ku Kyōbashi 3-chōme 7-banchi (東京都中央区京橋3丁目7番地). Source: advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, pp. 163–5 and 268. An advertisement dated June 1953 reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 164 (item 711) mentions that Endō Shashin Yōhin was the former Endō Kamera-ten (旧遠藤カメラ店).
- ↑ Umemoto history page.
Bibliography
- Asahi Camera (アサヒカメラ) editorial staff. Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi (昭和10–40年広告にみる国産カメラの歴史, Japanese camera history as seen in advertisements, 1935–1965). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1994. ISBN 4-02-330312-7.
Links
In Japanese:
- Pigeon 35J article: part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 7, 8 9, 10 11, 12 13, among Nakayama Keita's articles
- Pigeon 35J repair notes at Takasaki Motohiro's camera site
- Advertisement for the Pigeon 35 dated 1954, reproduced in Shashin-Bako