Tōkyō Seiki
Tōkyō Seiki K.K. (東京精機株式会社) was a Japanese company, active from 1951 to 1955. It is said that it was a continuation of the company Nissan Kōgaku Kōgyō-sha or Condor Camera Works that made the Condor folders before the war.[1]
The company announced the Semi Rocket 4.5×6 folder in 1951 and 1952 and made the New Rocket hit-type camera at an unknown date.[2] From 1952, it made another 4.5×6 folder called Doris. It is said that the camera was named after its maker (presumably meaning designer), a Mr Motodori (本鳥): "Dori's camera", thus "Doris".[3] (The name "Doris" had already been used before the war on two 3×4 camera models, distributed by Fukada Shōkai and sometimes attributed to Prince Camera Works.)
By 1955, the company had been renamed Doris Camera K.K. (ドリスカメラ株式会社), keeping the same address.[4] The range of models was extended with the Dorisflex TLR and the Doris Six 6×6 folder.
Contents
4.5×6 folder
6×6 folder
6×6 TLR
Hit camera
- New Rocket
Notes
- ↑ Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 374, about the Semi Rocket.
- ↑ Semi Rocket: Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 374. New Rocket: McKeown, p. 844.
- ↑ Niimi, p. 92. The name Motodori also appears in Motodori Shashin Kikai Kōgyō-sho, the maker of the Semi Lester, but it is maybe a coincidence.
- ↑ The address was Tōkyō-to Itabashi-ku Tokiwadai 1, 16 (東京都板橋区常盤台1の16). Source: advertisements reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p. 153.
References / further reading
- 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.
- 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). Pp. 250, 844, 927–8.
- Niimi Kahee (新見嘉兵衛). Kamera-mei no gogen sanpo (カメラ名の語源散歩, Strolls in the etymology of camera names). 2nd ed. Tokyo: Shashin Kōgyō Shuppansha, 2002. ISBN 4-87956-060-X
Links
- Discussion about Doris within this Japanese miscellanea page at tlr-cameras.com
