Aetna
This article is a stub. You can help Camera-wiki.org by expanding it.
|
| 1966 advertising |
Aetna Optix was a US distributor of photo supplies, already active in the 1950s.[1] Its address on 31st St Street, New York city, was apparently under the same roof as Seymour's,[2] and they also distributed the Optika IIa, suggesting the two were related enterprises. Aetna sold camera lenses under various brands, such as Actinar, Coligon or Rokunar.
Aetna was bought in the early 1990s by Brandess-Kalt, itself the result of the acquisition of Kalt Corporation by Brandess Brothers in 1987.[3] The group became Brandess-Kalt-Aetna, abbreviated as BKA. BKA merged in 2010 with Omega to create OmegaBrandess, who as of 2022 still exist.[4]
Notes
- ↑ An example is an October, 1959, adin U.S. Camera magazine (Vol. 22, No. 10; pg. 26).
- ↑ Advertised as 356 W. 31st St. in the December, 1959, U.S. Camera (Vol. 22, No. 12; pg.52); but later as 350 W. 31st (the same as Seymour's) in the August, 1965 Modern Photography (Vol. 29, No. 8; pg. 100).
- ↑ Obituary of Charles Brandess at Photo Reporter (archived). The autobiographical reminiscences of Kalt's founder Miller Outcalt date it to 1983.
- ↑ OmegaBrandess "About Us" page at the company website
Links
- Overview (archived) in the official website of BKA (Brandess-Kalt-Aetna)
- Obituary of Charles Brandess at Photo Reporter (archived)
  
|
| Aetna Actinar 135/4.5 no.60099 lens head on a Mirroscope reflex housing. The head has Leica screw mount and a focusing helicoid, and is attached via an adapter. In that configuration, the lens is focusing past infinity. An extension tube or bellows would be needed to make it usable. Pictures courtesy of Brooklyn Camera. (Image rights). |
