Difference between revisions of "Ishii and Echt"
Rebollo fr (talk | contribs) m (Ehito and Ishii moved to Echt: this is the true brand name, and this seems to be the final name of the company) |
Rebollo fr (talk | contribs) (found that it was called Echt) |
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| − | '''Ishii Shōkai''' (石井商会) | + | The brand name '''Echt''' (エヒト, ''Ehito'') was perhaps first used by the Japanese company '''Ishii Shōkai''' (石井商会) in the late 1930s: an advertisement dated December 1939 says that Ishii was the maker and distributor of the Echt products (エヒト製品製造発売元), and shows the ''ECHT'' logo, with the letters E, H, T circled by a large oval C.<REF> Advertisement on p.7 of {{NSKT}}, December 15, 1939, reproduced on p.41 of ''Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku''. </REF> The address of the company was Ginza Nishi 6-chōme (座西六丁目).<REF> The address was more precisely Ginza Nishi 6-chōme Taimei Shōgakkō Mae (座西六丁目泰明小学校前), "facing the Taimei school". </REF> It was offering film cassettes for 35mm cameras, a complete close-up device for the 6×6 [[Super Ikonta]], said to "replace the Contameter" (コンタメーター代用) and a focusing rail apparently copied on a [[Zeiss Ikon]] accessory. |
| − | In January 1942, the [[Kraft]] | + | The [[Kraft]] 4×4 camera was made by the same company which made the Echt accessories. The official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941 even mentions a camera called Echt (エヒト) along with the Kraft I and Kraft II, of which it was perhaps a name variant.<REF> {{Kakaku0141_short}}, type 1, section 10. </REF> In January 1942, the [[Kraft]] camera and the Echt (エヒト) enlarger were jointly advertised by '''Echt Kōgaku Kōgyō Y.K.''' (ヱ<!--sic-->ヒト光学工業<small>有限会社</small>, literally reading ''Ehito Kōgaku Kōgyō Y.K.'' and meaning Echt Optical Industries) and '''Y.K. Ishii Shōkai''' (<small>有限会社</small>石井商会, meaning Ishii Trading).<REF> Advertisement in ''[[Shashin Bunka]]'' reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.68. </REF> The two companies had the same physical address and were obviously closely related.<REF> The address of Ehito was Tōkyō-shi Kyōbashi-ku Ginza Nishi-6-chōme (Kikuhon building) (東京市京橋区銀座西六丁目菊本ビル) and the address of Ishii was the same with no mention of the Kikuhon building. </REF> The company names certainly indicate that Echt was the manufacturer and Ishii the distributor. However the Kraft camera was mentioned in the April 1943 government inquiry on Japanese camera production as made by Ishii and distributed by Echt, perhaps by mistake.<REF> {{Inquiry1943_short}}, items 151–2. </REF> |
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
* {{Inquiry1943}} | * {{Inquiry1943}} | ||
* {{Kakaku0141}} | * {{Kakaku0141}} | ||
| − | * | + | * {{NSKT1000}} Advertisement on p.41, corresponding to p.7 of the December 15, 1939 issue. |
[[Category: Japanese camera makers]] | [[Category: Japanese camera makers]] | ||
[[Category: Japanese distributors]] | [[Category: Japanese distributors]] | ||
Revision as of 14:21, 5 August 2008
The brand name Echt (エヒト, Ehito) was perhaps first used by the Japanese company Ishii Shōkai (石井商会) in the late 1930s: an advertisement dated December 1939 says that Ishii was the maker and distributor of the Echt products (エヒト製品製造発売元), and shows the ECHT logo, with the letters E, H, T circled by a large oval C.[1] The address of the company was Ginza Nishi 6-chōme (座西六丁目).[2] It was offering film cassettes for 35mm cameras, a complete close-up device for the 6×6 Super Ikonta, said to "replace the Contameter" (コンタメーター代用) and a focusing rail apparently copied on a Zeiss Ikon accessory.
The Kraft 4×4 camera was made by the same company which made the Echt accessories. The official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941 even mentions a camera called Echt (エヒト) along with the Kraft I and Kraft II, of which it was perhaps a name variant.[3] In January 1942, the Kraft camera and the Echt (エヒト) enlarger were jointly advertised by Echt Kōgaku Kōgyō Y.K. (ヱヒト光学工業有限会社, literally reading Ehito Kōgaku Kōgyō Y.K. and meaning Echt Optical Industries) and Y.K. Ishii Shōkai (有限会社石井商会, meaning Ishii Trading).[4] The two companies had the same physical address and were obviously closely related.[5] The company names certainly indicate that Echt was the manufacturer and Ishii the distributor. However the Kraft camera was mentioned in the April 1943 government inquiry on Japanese camera production as made by Ishii and distributed by Echt, perhaps by mistake.[6]
Notes
- ↑ Advertisement on p.7 of Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin, December 15, 1939, reproduced on p.41 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku.
- ↑ The address was more precisely Ginza Nishi 6-chōme Taimei Shōgakkō Mae (座西六丁目泰明小学校前), "facing the Taimei school".
- ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no kōtei kakaku", type 1, section 10.
- ↑ Advertisement in Shashin Bunka reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.68.
- ↑ The address of Ehito was Tōkyō-shi Kyōbashi-ku Ginza Nishi-6-chōme (Kikuhon building) (東京市京橋区銀座西六丁目菊本ビル) and the address of Ishii was the same with no mention of the Kikuhon building.
- ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), items 151–2.
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.
- "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" (国産写真機ノ現状調査, Inquiry into Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943. Reproduced in Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Presentation and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.180–7.
- "Kokusan shashinki no kōtei kakaku" (国産写真機の公定価格, Set prices of the Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of October 25, 1940 and setting the retail prices from December 10, 1940. Published in Asahi Camera January 1941 and reproduced in 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. Pp.108—9.
- 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 on p.41, corresponding to p.7 of the December 15, 1939 issue.
