Difference between revisions of "Asanuma Shōkai"
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Revision as of 22:23, 29 May 2008
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| Addresses of Asanuma Shōkai, in a catalogue dated October 1941. (Image rights) |
Asanuma has been a Japanese distributor of photographic supplies from the late 1860s to the present day (2008). It manufactured its own large-format studio or field cameras, and also some amateur cameras in the 1910s and 1920s. Today it is best known for its range of accessories sold under the brand King (キング).
Contents
History
The shop was founded in 1867 by Asanuma Tōkichi (浅沼藤吉).[1] By 1901, the company was called Asanuma Shōten (浅沼商店),[2] and the address was Nihonbashi-ku Honchō 2-chōme in Tokyo (東京日本橋区本町二丁目). [3] Some years later, its name was changed to Asanuma Shōkai (浅沼商会,[4] i.e. Asanuma trading company). It sold the Eagle plate folders around 1915[5] and the Focal Happy at some later date. It was certainly the owner of the Happy (ハッピー) brand, later used on the Happy plate folder made by Molta. The brand name King (キング) was already in use for accessories in the mid-1930s.[6]
From c.1933, Asanuma distributed the Happy and the various Minolta models of the Molta company, later Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō. It apparently had the exclusive right to sell these cameras until the end of the second world war. After the war it still appears as an authorized dealer of the Minolta cameras, until at least as late as 1952, often together with Misuzu Shōkai.
Asanuma also distributed the Congo lenses of Yamasaki, whose founder was a former employee of the company.[7] The Congo lenses appear in wartime Asanuma catalogues,[8] and the company was still an authorized dealer of Yamasaki in 1959–60.[9] At the same era, it was also advertising Taron products; its main address was Chūō-ku Nihonbashi Takarachō 3–3 (中央区日本橋宝町3–3) in central Tokyo.[10]
Today (2008), the company sells many accessories under its own King brand. The headquarters is in the Nihonbashi Building.[11]
Advertisements
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| Advertisement by Asanuma in Ars Camera April 1922. (Image rights) |
Advertisement by Asanuma in Asahi Camera February 1930. (Image rights) |
 
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| Advertisements by Asanuma in Asahi Camera June 1932. (Image rights) |
 
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| Leaflet dating c.1936 for the Minolta and Happy range and King products. (Image rights) |
 
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| Cover and back cover of the October 1941 Asanuma catalogue. (Image rights) |
Asanuma Shashinki-ten
Some advertisements from the late 1920s to the late 1930s show the company name Asanuma Shashinki-ten (浅沼写真機店) and an address in the Marunouchi Building in Tokyo.[12] In 1939, this company was distributing the Leiket photographic products: filters, hoods, close-up lenses and a 75/4.5 enlarging lens.[13] It is not known for sure if this company was related to Asanuma Shōkai or not.
Notes
- ↑ The June 1901 catalogue of Asanuma Shōten, available in electronic form at the National Diet Library, contains a portrait of Asanuma Tōkichi on this page and says "Established 1867" on this page. (Lewis, p.4, says that the shop was founded in 1871 by "Asanuma Tokichi".)
- ↑ 淺沼商店 in older orthography.
- ↑ 淺沼商店 in older orthography. Source: June 1901 catalogue of Asanuma Shōten, available in electronic form at the National Diet Library. This document contains a picture of the shop's building on this page, and various pictures of the show rooms and manufacturing departments on the following pages.
- ↑ 淺沼商會 in older orthography.
- ↑ Lewis, p.24.
- ↑ Oldest appearance observed so far: leaflet reproduced in this page, dating c.1936 (Danzen kesshutsu shita kokusan kamera).
- ↑ Yamasaki history page; Inoue, p.130; Baird, p.59.
- ↑ Asanuma Shōkai. Shashinki to zairyō, October 1941.
- ↑ Advertisement for the Congo lenses published in Asahi Camera Annual '60.
- ↑ March 1959 advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.254.
- ↑ The exact address is Tōkyō-to Chūō-ku Nihonbashi 1–2–8 Nihonbashi Building 5th–6th floors (東京都中央区日本橋1丁目2番8号ニホンバシビル5階･6階), according to the official company profile.
- ↑ Advertisements in Asahi Camera September 1929 (p.A15) and February 1930 (p.A15); advertisement on p.8 of Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin, December 15, 1939, reproduced on p.42 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku.
- ↑ Advertisement on p.8 of Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin, December 15, 1939, reproduced on p.42 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku.
Bibliography
Original documents
- Ars Camera. Advertisement by Asanuma Shōkai in April 1922. No page number.
- Asahi Camera. Advertisements by Asanuma Shashinki-ten in September 1929 (p.A15) and February 1930 (p.A15).
- Asahi Camera. Advertisements by Asanuma Shōkai in February 1930 (p.A3) and June 1932 (pp.A18 and A19).
- Asahi Camera Annual '60 (アサヒカメラ年鑑'60). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbun-sha, February 25, 1960. Advertisement by Yamasaki Kōgaku Kenkyūjo. No page number.
- Asanuma Shōkai. Shashinki to zairyō (Cameras and supplies). Catalogue dated October 1941. P.16. Document partly reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr.
- Asanuma Tōkichi (浅沼藤吉). Shashin kikai oyobi yakuhin shashinban oyobi sekiban kigu zukai mokuroku (写真機械及薬品写真版及石版器具図解目録, Illustrated catalogue of photographic materials, chemicals and lithography tools). Tōkyō: Asanuma Shōten (浅沼商店), June 1901. Available in electronic form at the National Diet Library.
- Leaflet for the Minolta and Happy range and King accessories, dating c.1936. Danzen kesshutsu shita kokusan kamera (断然傑出した国産カメラ, Definitely excellent Japan-made cameras). Document owned by Andrea Apra and reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr.
- Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin (日本写真興業通信). Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku (百号ごと十回の記録, Ten records, every hundred issues). Tokyo: Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin Sha (日本写真興業通信社), 1967. No ISBN number. Advertisement by Asanuma Shashinki-ten on p.42, corresponding to p.8 of the December 15, 1939 issue.
Modern sources
- 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.
- Baird, John R. The Japanese Camera. Yakima, WA: Historical Camera Publications, 1990. ISBN 1-879561-02-6. P.59.
- Inoue, Mitsuo (井上光朗). "Shashin renzu no yoake. Renzu-ya Funsenki" (写真レンズの夜明け・レンズ屋奮戦記, Dawn of the photographic lens — Fierce war tales between lens shops). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.128–132.
- Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), 0-935398-16-3 (hard).
- McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). P.85.
Links
In Japanese:
