Difference between revisions of "Ishii and Echt"
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|| ''Echt (エヒト) logo. Picture by JPG. {{with permission}}'' | || ''Echt (エヒト) logo. Picture by JPG. {{with permission}}'' | ||
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| − | '''Echt''' was a brand name used | + | '''Echt''' was a brand name used from the late 1930s on Japanese products sold by the company '''Ishii Shōkai''', whose manufacturing branch named itself '''Echt Kōgaku Kōgyō''' in the early 1940s. |
== History == | == History == | ||
| − | The brand name '''Echt''' (エヒト, ''Ehito'') was | + | The brand name '''Echt''' (エヒト, ''Ehito'') was 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 (銀座西六丁目).<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. |
| − | 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 | + | {| class="plainlinks floatright" width=200px style="text-align: center;" |
| + | || [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr/3150610856/in/pool-camerapedia/ http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/3150610856_a9d65c1f38_m_d.jpg] | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | || ''Advertisement by Ishii Shōkai in {{AR}} March and April 1946. {{public domain Japan new}}'' | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | 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 {{SB}} reproduced in {{Kokusan}}, p.68. </REF> The two companies had the same physical address and were obviously closely related.<REF> The address of Echt 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. This was certainly the same physical location as in 1939. </REF> The company names indicate that Echt was the manufacturer and Ishii the distributor. (The April 1943 government inquiry on Japanese camera production mentions the Kraft camera as made by Ishii and distributed by Echt, but this was surely by mistake.)<REF> {{Inquiry1943_short}}, items 151–2. </REF> | ||
| − | + | Ishii Shōkai survived the war, and placed advertisements in the March and April 1946 issues of {{AR}}.<REF> Advertisements in {{AR}} March 1946 (p.1) and April 1946 (p.1). The address was Tōkyō-to Kyōbashi-ku Ginza Nishi-6-chōme (Kikuhon building) (東京市京橋区銀座西六丁目菊本ビル). This was certainly the same physical location as in 1946. </REF> These documents say that the company was ruled by Ishii Yūzō (石井有三), certainly the founder, and make no mention of the Echt products. All trace of the company is lost after that date. | |
== Cameras == | == Cameras == | ||
| Line 32: | Line 37: | ||
== Bibliography == | == Bibliography == | ||
| + | * {{AR}}. Advertisements by Ishii Shōkai in March 1946 (p.1) and April 1946 (p.1). | ||
* {{Showa10}} | * {{Showa10}} | ||
* {{Inquiry1943}} | * {{Inquiry1943}} | ||
Revision as of 16:58, 1 January 2009
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| Echt (エヒト) logo. Picture by JPG. (Image rights) |
Echt was a brand name used from the late 1930s on Japanese products sold by the company Ishii Shōkai, whose manufacturing branch named itself Echt Kōgaku Kōgyō in the early 1940s.
Contents
History
The brand name Echt (エヒト, Ehito) was 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 (銀座西六丁目).[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.
|
| Advertisement by Ishii Shōkai in Ars Camera March and April 1946. (Image rights) |
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 indicate that Echt was the manufacturer and Ishii the distributor. (The April 1943 government inquiry on Japanese camera production mentions the Kraft camera as made by Ishii and distributed by Echt, but this was surely by mistake.)[6]
Ishii Shōkai survived the war, and placed advertisements in the March and April 1946 issues of Ars Camera.[7] These documents say that the company was ruled by Ishii Yūzō (石井有三), certainly the founder, and make no mention of the Echt products. All trace of the company is lost after that date.
Cameras
- Echt (unconfirmed)
- Kraft I and Kraft II
Accessories
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| Echt "automatic focusing copying device" for Contax. Picture by JPG. (Image rights) |
Various Echt accessories have been observed so far:
- a set of filters for the Leitz Summar 5cm f/2 lens; it is contained in a box marked ECHT–Filtersatz and each individual filter is marked Summar 1:2 F5cm;
- a small copy stand called "Echt repro device for Leica" (エヒトライカ用接写装置) in the user manual; it is similar to that advertised in 1939 but with an adapting ring for the Leitz Elmar 5cm f/3.5, marked ECHT Elmar 3.5; the name ECHT WORKS and the address GINZA TOKYO are inscribed inside the box, together with the ECHT logo and the Japanese characters エヒト;
- a copy stand for the Contax, called "automatic focusing copying device" (自動焦点式接写器) and copied on the reproduction stand 5520/1 made by Zeiss Ikon; the green velvet covering inside the box shows the ECHT logo, the Japanese characters エヒト, the device name, the company name ECHT KOGAKU and the address GINZA TOKYO; the name ECHT WORKS is inscribed on parts of the device itself.
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 Echt 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. This was certainly the same physical location as in 1939.
- ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), items 151–2.
- ↑ Advertisements in Ars Camera March 1946 (p.1) and April 1946 (p.1). The address was Tōkyō-to Kyōbashi-ku Ginza Nishi-6-chōme (Kikuhon building) (東京市京橋区銀座西六丁目菊本ビル). This was certainly the same physical location as in 1946.
Bibliography
- Ars Camera. Advertisements by Ishii Shōkai in March 1946 (p.1) and April 1946 (p.1).
- 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.
