Difference between revisions of "Wollensak"

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'''Wollensak''' was an American company, based in Rochester, New York, which manufactured lenses and shutters from 1899. The company was founded by Andrew and John Wollensak.<REF name="kingslake"> [http://www.nwmangum.com/Kodak/Rochester.html#Wollensak History of Rochester Companies], by Kingslake. </REF> Andrew Wollensak previously had been shutter developer for [[Bausch & Lomb]]. There he had invented the ''Iris Diaphragm'', one of the first modern [[leaf shutter]]s, and other shutters. In 1909 he invented the versatile [[Optimo]] shutter for the Wollensak company. The firm was bought by [[Revere|Revere Camera Co.]] in the 1950s,<REF name="audiotools revere"> [http://audiotools.com/en_dead_re.html#revere Revere history at Audiotools.com]. </REF> itself absorbed by [[3M]] in 1960,<REF name="audiotools revere" /> and shut its doors in 1972.<REF> [http://audiotools.com/dead_m.html#3m 3M history at Audiotools.com].</REF><REF name="kingslake" /> Anson Intruments bought the company in 1974 and closed it in 2001. A company named Surplus Shed currently holds the Wollensak factory building as well as some surplus.
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'''Wollensak''' was an American company, based in Rochester, New York, which manufactured lenses and shutters from 1899. The company was founded by Andrew and John Wollensak.<REF name="kingslake"> [http://www.nwmangum.com/Kodak/Rochester.html#Wollensak History of Rochester Companies], by Kingslake. </REF> Andrew Wollensak previously had been shutter developer for [[Bausch & Lomb]]. There he had invented the ''Iris Diaphragm'', one of the first modern [[leaf shutter]]s, and other shutters. In 1909 he invented the versatile [[Optimo]] shutter for the Wollensak company. The firm was bought by [[Revere|Revere Camera Co.]] in the 1950s,<REF name="audiotools revere"> [http://audiotools.com/en_dead_re.html#revere Revere history at Audiotools.com]. </REF> itself absorbed by [[3M]] in 1960,<REF name="audiotools revere" /> and shut its doors in 1972.<REF> [http://audiotools.com/en_dead_mc.html#3m 3M history at Audiotools.com].</REF><REF name="kingslake" /> Anson Intruments bought the company in 1974 and closed it in 2001. A company named Surplus Shed currently holds the Wollensak factory building as well as some surplus.
  
 
Over the years, Wollensak produced a wide variety of lenses for still and movie cameras, projectors, enlargers, microfilm equipment, and military uses.  Their better lenses were often labelled "Velostigmat", and their best lenses were labelled "Raptar".  The Raptar name was selected as the winning entry in the company's 1946 "name-the-lens" promotion: it won Templin R. Licklider of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan $1000 in Victory Bonds.<ref>"Coming! The NEW Wollensak Raptar Lenses" (advertisement). Inside back cover, ''Popular Photography'' magazine (US), April 1946</ref>
 
Over the years, Wollensak produced a wide variety of lenses for still and movie cameras, projectors, enlargers, microfilm equipment, and military uses.  Their better lenses were often labelled "Velostigmat", and their best lenses were labelled "Raptar".  The Raptar name was selected as the winning entry in the company's 1946 "name-the-lens" promotion: it won Templin R. Licklider of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan $1000 in Victory Bonds.<ref>"Coming! The NEW Wollensak Raptar Lenses" (advertisement). Inside back cover, ''Popular Photography'' magazine (US), April 1946</ref>

Revision as of 10:41, 24 May 2017

5133464723_1650eeaa8d.jpg
Wollensak Raptar 90mm; Rapax shutter
image by Peter M Lerman (Image rights)

Wollensak was an American company, based in Rochester, New York, which manufactured lenses and shutters from 1899. The company was founded by Andrew and John Wollensak.[1] Andrew Wollensak previously had been shutter developer for Bausch & Lomb. There he had invented the Iris Diaphragm, one of the first modern leaf shutters, and other shutters. In 1909 he invented the versatile Optimo shutter for the Wollensak company. The firm was bought by Revere Camera Co. in the 1950s,[2] itself absorbed by 3M in 1960,[2] and shut its doors in 1972.[3][1] Anson Intruments bought the company in 1974 and closed it in 2001. A company named Surplus Shed currently holds the Wollensak factory building as well as some surplus.

Over the years, Wollensak produced a wide variety of lenses for still and movie cameras, projectors, enlargers, microfilm equipment, and military uses. Their better lenses were often labelled "Velostigmat", and their best lenses were labelled "Raptar". The Raptar name was selected as the winning entry in the company's 1946 "name-the-lens" promotion: it won Templin R. Licklider of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan $1000 in Victory Bonds.[4]

Like the Kodak Ektars, Raptars were often Tessar designs, though other formulae were used, particularly in wide angle and telephoto lenses.

At least one camera was sold with the Wollensak brand: the Wollensak Stereo 10 is a version of the Revere Stereo. In addition, Wollensak produced cine cameras, such as the Wollensak Fastax 16mm camera.[5]

Many OEM productions of shutters were made by Wollensak, for example all the shutters of Conley which were rebadged as Conley.[6]

Cameras with Wollensak lens and shutter

6485753825_5ce95e5225_m.jpg
Wollensak Oscillo-Anastigmat 75mm f/1.9
in Wollensak Alphax shutter
image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights)

Cameras with a Wollensak lens

Shutters

  • Alphax
  • Pi-Alphax
  • Alphax Synchromatic
  • Automatic
  • Betax (1912-
Available in sizes #0 to #5
9412731617_df3c5a5d8e_m_d.jpg
Optimo shutter
on No. 1A Autographic Kodak Special
image by Nesster (Image rights)
  • Heavy Duty Betax
  • Duo
  • Junior
  • Optimo (US)/ Velosto (UK & Europe)
  • Rapax
  • Regular
  • Senior
  • Winner

Lenses

  • Raptar
  • Velostigmat
5499480546_d4394e7139_m.jpg
lenses for Fairchild aerial cameras
image by John-Henry Collinson (Image rights)

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 History of Rochester Companies, by Kingslake.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Revere history at Audiotools.com.
  3. ↑ 3M history at Audiotools.com.
  4. ↑ "Coming! The NEW Wollensak Raptar Lenses" (advertisement). Inside back cover, Popular Photography magazine (US), April 1946
  5. ↑ Wollensak Fastax
  6. ↑ Conley's shutters were made by Wollensak. A sample can be seen on page Conley Model XIV.

Links

photography related industry in Rochester (New York)
American Camera | Bausch & Lomb | Blair | Century | Crown Optical Co. | Elgeet | Folmer & Schwing | Gassner and Marx | Graflex | Gundlach | Ilex | JML | Kodak | Milburn | Monroe | PMC | Ray | Reichenbach, Morey and Will | Rochester Camera and Supply Co. | Rochester Optical Co. | Rochester Panoramic Camera Co. | Seneca | Sunart | Walker | Webster Industries | Wollensak
and in Rochester (Minnesota)
Conley
external links
graflex.org - Rudolf Kingslake's
"Optical industry in Rochester (N.Y.)"
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