Aldis

Six-inch f/4.5 Aldis-Butcher anastigmat on a quarter-plate Ensign Reflex SLR image by Dustin McAmera (Image rights)

Aldis Brothers was a maker of lenses and other photographic equipment, in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham, England, from 1901, when H.L Aldis left the Dallmeyer company. Among their most successful products was the Uno Anastigmat, which comprises three glass elements, like the Cooke anastigmat, but two of which are cemented.

Aldis produced lenses for some Ensign cameras, some of which are identified with the brand Aldis-Ensign or Aldis-Butcher.

During both the First and Second World Wars, the company made military equipment. Its name is particularly strongly associated with the Aldis lamp, a signalling lamp used to send Morse Code.

The company was bought by the Rank organisation some time after the Second World War, and concentrated on slide projectors, episcopes etc.

Logo 1916 image by Geoff Harrisson (Image rights)

Camera lenses

• Uno Anastigmat / Uno Bi-Focal
• Anastigmat

Links

Aldis projector image by S. Erik Bjernhage (Image rights)

Advertising leaflet for a distributor of Aldis lenses in Italy and its colonies, describing Anastigmat series 0 - III. Held by Museum Victoria in Melborne, Australia. Cameras at Early Photography with Aldis lenses: Late 20's Ensign Roll-film Reflex with 4¼ inch f/6.3 Uno Anastigmat 1927 No. 4 Ensign Carbine, tropical, with 4¼ inch f/6.3 Uno Anastigmat 1907 Stereo Soho reflex with 6.4 inch f/6.3 Aldis Anastigmat Series II lenses, usable in mono or stereo.