Marusō

From Camera-wiki.org
Jump to: navigation, search

The name Marusō (丸惣) applies to various Japanese companies. It is not known if these were related to each other.

Marusō K.K.

Marusō K.K. (丸惣㈱) was based in Tokyo, Kanda, in 1939, and was making the Hamond cameras.[1] (One source attributes the Hamond to "Marusō Kōgaku", but this is not the name appearing in the advertisements.)[2]

Marusō Kōgaku

K.K. Marusō Kōgaku (㈱丸惣光学) was active in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and was based in Asakusa, Tokyo.[3] It sold the Maruso Camera no-need-darkroom models c.1948, the Maruso Patent Box for Bolta film c.1949 and the Maruso Refe (or "Semi Ref") 4.5×6cm box c.1950. It surely also distributed the Maruso 35 camera for Bolta film at the same period, though one source attributes this camera to "Maruso Camera Sha" (マルソカメラ社).[4] (Another source attributes all these cameras to "Maruso Trading Co.", but this is certainly a confusion with the later distributor of the Top Camera.)[5]

Maruso Trading Co. or Maruso Manufacturing

The Top Camera 14×14mm subminiature made in the mid 1960s is attributed to Maruso Trading Co. or Maruso Manufacturing by various sources.[6]

Notes

  1. The address was Tōkyō, Kanda-ku Awaji-chō 1–1 (東京市神田区淡路町1–1). Source: advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.84.
  2. "Marusō Kōgaku": Lewis, p.55.
  3. The address was in Tokyo, Taitō-ku, Asakusa (東京都台東区浅草霨一ノ二六). Source: advertisement on p.4 of Nihon Shashin Kōgyō Tsūshin April 20, 1948, reproduced on p.82 of Hyaku-gō goto jūkai no kiroku.
  4. Takesaki, p.96 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.21.
  5. "Maruso Trading Co.": Sugiyama, items 4154–5 and 4224.
  6. "Maruso Trading Co.": Sugiyama, item 5150 (Top I); McKeown, p.653. "Maruso Manufacturing": Sugiyama, item 5151 (Top II).

Bibliography