Ishii and Echt
Ehito Kōgaku Kōgyō Y.K. (ヱヒト光学工業有限会社, meaning Ehito Optical Industries) and Y.K. Ishii Shōkai (有限会社石井商会, meaning Ishii Trading) were Japanese companies at the beginning of the 1940s. They were both based in Tokyo, Ginza, had nearly the same physical address and were probably closely related.[1]
The two companies advertised in common the Kraft 4×4 camera and the Ehito enlarger in 1942.[2] The company names might indicate that Ehito was the manufacturer and Ishii the distributor, but the Kraft camera was mentioned in the "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras") compiled in April 1943 as made by Ishii and distributed by Ehito.[3] A camera called Ehito was also listed in the "Kokusan shashinki no kōtei kakaku" compiled on October 25, 1940; it was perhaps a name variant of the Kraft.[4]
Notes
- ↑ 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. Source: advertisement reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 68.
- ↑ Advertisement published in the January 1942 issue of Shashin Bunka, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 68.
- ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), items 151–2.
- ↑ "Kokusan shashinki no kōtei kakaku", type 1, section 10.
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.
