Eho-Altissa

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Camera industry in Dresden
Balda | Certo | Eho-Altissa | Eichapfel | Ernemann | Feinmess | Heyde | Hamaphot | Huth | Hüttig | ICA | Ihagee | Kochmann | Kerman | KW | Eugen Loeber | Ludwig | Mentor | Merkel | Meyer | Mimosa | Pentacon | Richter | Sommer | Stübiger | Unger & Hoffmann | Werner | Wünsche | Zeiss Ikon | Zeh
Camera distributors in Dresden
Stöckig
Camera industry in Freital
Beier | Pouva | Thowe | Welta

Eho-Altissa was a German camera maker based in Dresden.


History

The company roots lay on the business founded in 1892 by Richard Knoll, "Photo Spezialhaus", in Leipzig. Since 1904 it started repairing and manufacturing photographic supply.

In 1910 it moved to Dresden and a few years later, in 1927, it was taken over in by Emil Hofert and later continued by Berthold Altmann. In the early 1930s the company was successfully making box cameras. The mechanician Karl Heinrich Altmann created the unique "Altissa Box" camera line.

The company's cameras were sold under lots of brands of warehouses and photo suppliers. Some of them include:

  • Adina (Kaufhof)
  • AKO
  • Arto
  • Beier
  • Errtee (Romain Talbot, Berlin)
  • Fotam
  • Fotka (Czech)
  • Hamaphot
  • Hermax
  • Mantel
  • Mono
  • Nebo
  • Rhaco
  • RECORD
  • Rilo
  • Staufen
  • Wara


In 1937 the company launched its only reflex camera, the Altiflex, and in 1939 its sophisticated 35mm viewfinder camera series, the Altix.

The company's name was changed several times:

  • Since 1931, EHO-Kamerafabrik GmbH
  • In 1940, renamed into Amca Werk Berthold Altmann
  • Only one year later, 1941, became Altissa Camera Werk
  • Since 1952, VEB Altissa Camera Werk


In 1950 it was still a private company, having 160 employees. But Berthold Altmann decided to move to Western Germany. In absence he was condemned by East-German justice, and as consequence his company was taken over by the Socialist East-German state.

From 1959 it was part of VEB Kamera- und Kinowerke. The production of its cameras was ceased in 1961. A license production of the Altix VI cameras was launched in Sarajevo (then in the former Yugoslavia) with the original production equipment from the abandoned German factory.


Cameras


120 film cameras

35mm film cameras


Links

In German:

In French:

In English: