|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (handled)
SWIFT BINOCULARS, APOLLO BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (UK TM owner)
ROSS LONDON BINOCULARS & TELESCOPES, PATHFINDER BINOCULARS & MONOCULARS, SOLARCROSS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (distributed and/or imported )
SWIFT BINOCULARS, AUDUBON BINOCULARS, TRITON BINOCULARS, TECNAR BINOCULARS, TECHNAR BINOCULARS, SCOUT BINOCULARS, SARATOGA BINOCULARS, SKIPPER BINOCULARS, NEWPORT BINOCULARS, PANORAMIC BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
UK COMPANIES HOUSE, PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969, UK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE
|
|
UK
MARKET |
|
Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars.
VIRTUAL MUSEUM
|
|
MARK OHNO |
|
Please note: a great amount of effort has been made to try to be as accurate as possible. But
information about distribution tends to be scarce and fragmentary, and errors or misinterpretation are possible and/or probable.
Please keep in mind that any errors are unintentional, and will be cheerfully corrected upon notification
And that this is a not for profit attempt to document otherwise unavailable aspects of binocular history by optics enthusiasts, for the benefit of optics enthusiasts.
The distinction between Japanese manufacturers, exporters, and distributors and importing country wholesale and retail distribution may be blurred, so I have been generous about inclusion. |
|
GRAFTON OPTICAL CO. LTD. (UK) |
|
BRANDS W/ MINIATURE BINOCULAR: (distributed, perhaps imported )
ZUIHO BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (probably distributed, perhaps imported )
EXCELSIOR BINOCULARS, LUXO STAR BINOCULARS,
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK, UK (GOVT) COMPANIES HOUSE
|
|
Grafton Optical Co of 1 & 3 Worship St. London EC2 UK (in 1969) was incorporated on 7/1/1954. The company seems to still operate at River Park industrial Estate, Billet La, Berkhamstead,
UK as a wholesale distributor of ophthalmology optical equipment.
|
|
CENTURY OPTICAL CO. LTD. (UK) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (distributed, perhaps imported )
MANON BINOCULARS, PERL BINOCULARS, MICRON BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (probably distributed, perhaps imported )
PSAR BINOCULARS,
SIXETTE BINOCULARS, SPERBER BINOCULARS, TELEMAN BINOCULARS, HEURTEL & REUSS, HULL BINOCULARS, BECK KASSEL OCTETTE BINOCULARS, PANDEKAR BINOCULARS, PANSEPTAR BINOCULARS, PICCOLO BINOCULARS, MAGNOCTAR BINOCULARS.
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK, UK (GOVT) COMPANIES HOUSE, OPTICAL YEAR BOOK 1971
|
|
Century OptIcal Co of 164-6 Tottenham Road Court London W1 UK (in 1969) was dissolved 8/3/1994. Additional records were archived by Companies House and made unavailable. A listing in “Autocar” indicates they were active by 1960. It is confirmed
by documentation
in the 1971 World Trade Yearbook that Century Optical
specifically
distributed Perl 6x15 miniature binoculars, and Perl 8x20 miniature binoculars in the UK.
|
|
GREENHILL AND ELLIS (OPTICAL) LTD. (UK) |
|
Greenhill & Ellis Advertisement 1969 |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (probably distributed )
GREENKAT BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (probably distributed)
GREENKAT
BINOCULARS,
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK, CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST 1964, 1967 BRITSH JOURNAL PHOTOGRAPHY
|
|
Greenhill and Ellis Ltd. of Long House Dominion St London EC2 UK (in 1964 & 1969) is confirmed
by documentation
to have
specifically
distributed Greenkat 6x18 miniature binoculars in the UK in 1969, and showed them at a trade show in 1967.The company had a change of name in 1977, but there is a glitch in deserializing the digital record at Company’s house. This collection holds a 1967 Greenkat catalog. To view it go to
RESEARCH MATERIALS #1
.
|
|
J.J. SILBER LTD. (UK) |
|
BRANDS W/ MINIATURE BINOCULAR: (distributed and/or imported )
HANSA BINOCULARS, GLANZ BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (probably distributed, perhaps imported )
DENKAR BINOCULARS, CANON BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK, UK (GOVT) COMPANIES HOUSE, BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY VOL 123 1976
|
|
J.J. Silber Ltd of 11 Northburgh St London EC1 UK (in 1969) was incorporated on 2/10/1952, and was apparently dissolved around 1992. During the 1970’s the company was located at Engineers Way, Wembley, Middlesex and distributed a wide variety of photographic equipment including Balda cameras in the 1950s, Cannon products later, and accessories under their own brands Optomax, Adcam, Ranger Pix, Ranger Vision, and Ranger Vizion.
|
|
PULLIN PHOTOGRAPHIC LTD.
(UK) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (distributed and/or imported )
NIKON BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (distributed and/or imported )
NIKON BINOCULARS,
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK
|
|
Pullin Photographic Ltd was listed as being at 11 Aintree Rd Perivale Greenford Middlesex.
It is confirmed
by documentation
in the Photo Trade Yearbook 1969 that Pullin
specifically
distributed the Nikon 7x15 miniature binoculars in the UK.
|
|
PURSER’S LONDON (HOLBORN) LTD. (UK) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (distributed?)
LUNA BINOCULARS
,
SUPREMA BINOCULARS, CORTINA BINOCULAR, GREENKAT BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (distributed?)
GREENKAT BINOCULARS, BARR & STROUD BINOCULARS, LUNA BINOCULARS,
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK
|
|
It is confirmed
by documentation
that Pursers
specifically
distributed Cortina 7x18 miniature binoculars, Cortina 7x15 miniature binoculars, Cortina 8x 20 miniature binoculars, and Cortina 10x20 miniature binoculars, presumably among other miniature binoculars. No companies house information could be found.
|
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (probably distributed, perhaps imported )
SCOPE BINOCULARS
,
BELVEDERE BINOCULARS, SIMOR BINOCULARS, ORION BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (probably distributed, perhaps imported )
REGENT BINOCULARS, REGENTLUX BINOCULARS, HENSOLDT BINOCULARS, SLIMLINE BINOCULARS, STERN HARTMANN BINOCULARS, KARL HARTMAN BINOCULARS, NEWMARKET BINOCULARS, EPSOM BINOCULARS, FERNSEH BINOCULARS, ORION BINOCULARS, STERN BINOCULARS, HARTMANN BINOCULARS, VIPER BINOCULARS, ZEIKA BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK
|
|
HIGHGATE OPTICAL & INDUSTRIAL CO. (UK) |
|
E. HILL & CO LTD (UK) |
|
BRANDS W/ MINIATURE BINOCULAR: : (importer & distributors)
SOLUS BINOCULARS, COMET BINOCULARS, ZENITH BINOCULARS, MERCURY BINOCULARS, OLYMPIC BINOCULARS, CONDOR BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (importer & distributor)
HILKINSON BINOCULARS, BECK KASSEL OZELOT/DIORIT BINOCULARS, DEKAREM BINOCULARS, BINOCTEM BINOCULARS, KOLIBRI BINOCULARS, LUCHS BINOCULARS, PENTEKAREM BINOCULARS, PLANET BINOCULARS, DELTRINTEM BINOCULARS, DELTRINO BINOCULARS, KOBOLD BINOCULARS, MARE BINOCULARS, CARL ZEISS THURMON/SILVEREM BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK
|
|
Highgate OptIcal and Industrial Co was listed as occupying 71-3 Great Portland St., London W1 UK and related Highgate Optical Manufacturing Co was listed at 184
Gt Portland St London W1 (in 1969). No record could be found under that name at UK Companies House. It is confirmed
by documentation
that Highgate Optical
specifically
distributed Orion 8x20 miniature binoculars, presumably among others.
|
|
E. Hill & Co of Hilkinson Works, Potters Rd, New Barnet, Herts was established in the 1930’s. . It is confirmed
by documentation
that E. Hill & Co
specifically
distributed Solus 8x20 miniature binoculars in the UK in the late 1960’s. Hilkinson was a brand used by E. Hill on a variety of optical products, including binoculars, telescopes, monoculars, linen testers, and magnifiers. The Hilkinson brand is still in use.
|
|
E. ESDAILE AND SONS PTY LTD (AUSTRALIA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (believed owned )
ESDAILE & SONS SYDNEY BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
E. ESDAILE & SONS (book: State Library of New South Wales), TROVE, (obituary of founder), ESDAILE FAMILY HISTORY
|
|
E. Esdaile Optician was founded as a manufacturing Optician around 1894, and later became
E. Esdaile and Sons around 1947, and was located at 11 Hunter St and later 42 Hunter St., Sydney, New South Wales Australia. They sold and/or distributed optical goods and scientific instruments from around 1894-1962, including binoculars, barometers, barographs, levels, stop watches and drafting equipment. This included miniature pattern binoculars marked
ESDAILE & SONS SYDNEY
|
|
PYSER BRITEX SALES LTD.
SWIFT-PYSER/ PYSER SGI (UK) |
|
Pyser Britex Advertisement 1969 |
|
Hygate Optical Advertisement 1969 |
|
Pyser Britex Sales Ltd. 246/250 Regent St London UK also Firecroft Way, Edenbridge Kent, UK (under this and several similar names) were the distributor for Swift Optical goods including binoculars. It is confirmed
by documentation
that Pyser Britex
specifically
distributed Swift 7x18 miniature binoculars and Swift Sport 7x25 miniature binoculars, presumably among others. Pyser –Britex Ltd was incorporated Nov 4, 1953. Pyser Britex also distributed microscopes and telescopes.
|
|
RANK PHOTOGRAPHIC (UK) |
|
BRANDS W/ MINIATURE BINOCULAR: : (distributed ?)
ASAHI OPTICAL BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (distributed ?)
ASAHI OPTICAL BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK
|
|
Rank Photographic was listed at Aintree Rd, Perivale, Greenford, Middlesex. ). I could find no UK Companies House information on them.
|
|
UK
MARKET |
|
L’OPTIC MODERN LTD. (UK) |
|
UK
MARKET |
|
BRANDS W/ MINIATURE BINOCULAR: : (distributed ?)
SKYBOLT BINOCULARS, GLORY BINOCULARS, BELVEDERE BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (distributed ?)
ROSS BINOCULARS, CARL ZEISS BINOCULARS, SAARBOURG BINOCULARS, BOSCHE BINOCULARS, L’OM BINOCULARS, FERNSEH BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK
|
|
L’Optic Modern Ltd. was listed at 71 Great Portland St. London W1. I could find no UK Companies House information on them. In addition to binoculars astronomical telescopes of their brand have been observed.
|
|
VALENTINE AND CARR LTD. (UK) |
|
UK
MARKET |
|
BRANDS W/ MINIATURE BINOCULAR: : (distributed ?)
YASHICA BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (distributed ?)
YASHICA BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK
|
|
Valentine And Carr Ltd. was listed at 7 Charlotte St. London W1 and at Brampton Road trading Estate, Hampden Park, Eastbourne. I could find no UK Companies House information on them.
|
|
GERBER OPTICIAL SUPPLIES (AUSTRALIA) |
|
BRANDS W/ MINIATURE BINOCULAR:(owned)
GERBER BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (owned)
GERBER BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
GERBER WEBSITE |
|
Gerber Optical Supplies of 64-76 Kippax St. Surry Hills NSW Australia (and 94a Birriga Rd Bellvue Hill) held Australian trademark # 318141 for Gerber for binoculars 1978-1999, and was a wholesale distributor of binoculars and sports optics and was founded in 1977 according to their website. It is unclear if they are still trading. A google company link says closed and the website now seems shut down, so perhaps not.
|
|
HAGEMEYER EXPORT & IMPORT CO., LTD (JAPAN)
Sub. HAGEMEYER N.V. (NETHERLANDS) |
|
WORLDWIDE
MARKETS
|
|
BRANDS W/ MINIATURE BINOCULAR: : (TM owner)
HACO BINOCULARS, SUPER HACO BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
DIAMOND’S JAPAN BUSINESS DIRETORY 1990, FUNDING UNIVERSE, INFOPEDIA |
|
Hagemeyer Trading was founded in the 1890’s and incorporated in 1904 as the Dutch Trading Co Hagemejier & Co., in Surabaya in Java, importing goods from the Netherlands into the Netherlands East Indies. The company now is focused on the eletrotechnical industry and has subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Peoples Republic of China, Germany, Czech Republic, the UK, Guernsey, Jersey, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland, USA, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Spain and elsewhere.
The Japanese subsidiary Hagemeyer Export and Import Co., Ltd handled the Haco and Super Haco miniature binoculars in the past when the company handled consumer products, and I suspect that brand name
HACO
binoculars to be derived from
Ha
gemeyer
Co
.
Hagemeyer Export and Import Co Ltd. (Hageemeijer & Co’s Handelmaatschappij NV) of Amsterdam Holland held Canadian trademark #386495 for
HACO
for binoculars & barometers 5/1975–? with first Canadian use 1965.
|
|
IVECO ISRAEL WEISSBORT (GERMANY) |
|
BRANDS W/ MINIATURE BINOCULAR: : (EU TM owner)
IVECO BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
UK COMPANIES HOUSE, HANDELSREGISTER INFORMATIONEN |
|
Iveco Israel Weissbort with several addresses in Stuttgart Germany was an import export wholesale firm which held German trademark #
786262
for “
IVECO
” for binoculars, filed 7/3/1961 and terminated in 2001. I believe the firm was better known for patented packaging machinery and process utilizing plastic film, which they developed around 1965-1966. That part of the business was sold and is still active, but it appears the portion of the business that handled binoculars has closed.
|
|
SANYO PHOTO SUPPLY CORP., HAKUBA PHOTO INDUSTRY CO LTD., HAKUBA SHASHIN SANGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA,
ハクバ写真産業株式会社
(
JAPAN) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (UK TM owner )
HAKUBA BINOCULARS
(distributing?)
SANYO
BINOCULARS,
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
BLOOMBERG, UK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE
|
|
Sanyo Photo Supply Corp was founded in 1955 as a Japanese wholesale importer/exporter of photographic equipment and accessories. In 1976 the company hanged it’s name to Hakuba Photo Industry Co Ltd, and is still active and today is located at 1-3-7, Kamezawa, Sumida –ku, Tokyo, Japan 130-0014. Hakuba Photo Industry Co Ltd. held UK trademark # 1122406 for Hakuba for optical apparatus 1980 to present.
|
|
KUROKI OPTICAL INSTRUMENT CO. (JAPAN)
KUROKI KŌGAKU KŌGYŌ CO. LTD
KUROKI OPTICAL CO. LTD.,
関東光学株式会社
|
|
USA
MARKET |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (believed owned)
KANTO BINOCULARS, KANTO CAROL BINOCULARS, KANTO ROSETTE BINOCULARS, GLANZ BINOCULARS,
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
FOREIGN COMMERCE WEEKLY 1949 ADVERTISEMENT, 1958 OWENS REGISTER, 1959 BINOCULARS MANUFACTURERS LIST, 1966 OPTICAL INDUSTRY AND SYSTEMS
|
|
OFITRA/ OVERSEAS FINANCE AND TRADING CO., INC. (USA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (handled):
NIPPON KOGAKU BINOCULARS/ NIKON BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
) NIKON JOURNAL/NIKON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHY 1951, PHOTOGRAPHY JAN 1991
|
|
The Overseas Finance and trading Co., Inc. of 826 Merchants Exchange Building, San Francisco California USA had exclusive USA and US military worldwide PX (post exchange) distribution for Nippon Kogaku/ Nikon products from April 1950 to 1953, after which it was taken over by Ehrenreich Photo Optical Industries until their purchase in 1981 by Nikon. OFITRA was owned by Uno Lindholm,, a Swedish entrepreneur with Japanese connections, and had offices in Stockholm Sweden and Tokyo Japan as well as San Francisco and had not handled optical products previously.
|
|
USA
MARKET |
|
USA
MILITARY POST
EXCHANGE
MARKET |
|
MICHAUD INC. (USA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (believed owned or used):
MICHAUD BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
) 1982 CUSTOMS COURT CASE, CHILTON JEWELERS CIRCULAR 1970& 1981, CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE
|
|
US importer Michaud Inc of 630 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles California USA was established around 1957 and was active until around 1993, and was believed to have imported binoculars under the Michaud brand name, including miniature models.
|
|
USA
MARKET |
|
CONSUMERS DISTRIBUTING CO. LTD. (USA)
LA COMPAGNIE DISTRIBUTION AU CONSUMMATEURS LIMITEE (CANADA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (U.S.TM owner):
SKYLINE BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS (canadianTM owner):
CONSUMERS BINOCULARS
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
US PATENT & TRADEMARK OFFICE, TRULIA, WIKIPEDIA
|
|
Founded in 1957, the catalog showroom company Consumers Distributing Ltd had at it’s peak 243 outlets in Canada, plus 217 outlets in the USA (in NH, Ct, Ma, NY, NJ, Pa, Md, Ca & Nv). They held US trademark #73206214 for Skyline for binoculars as well as for opera glasses, monoculars, telescopes, spotting scopes, and around 60 other items related to sporting goods Nov. 1979 to Feb. 1993. First use 1958 . Consumers held Canadian trademark #0384127 for CONSUMERS for binoculars 1987 (files 1975) -2003. Customers would select products from catalogs at home, and visit the showroom/warehouse to pick them up. The company went bankrupt in 1996.
|
|
EDWARD MARCUS LTD. (UK) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (believed owned or used):
MARCUS LVA BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
EDWARD MARCUS LTD WEBSITE, UK COMPANIES HOUSE
|
|
UK
MARKET |
|
IRISH
MARKET |
|
Founded in may of 1945, Edward Marcus Ltd. of Wombell, Barnsley, UK is a specialist distributor of LVA/
L
ow
V
ision
A
ids to Optometrists, Opticians, and various associations, schools, and other distribution channels
|
|
WALES
MARKET |
|
ITO KŌGAKU KIKAI SEISAKUJO INC. (JAPAN)
ITOH OPTICAL CO. |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (believed owned or used):
LINET BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
JAPANESE BINOCULAR MANUFACTURERS LIST 1957 (EUROPA/PETER ABRAMS), OBSERVATION OF MARKINGS ON FULL SIZE LINET BINOCULARS
|
|
Ito Kogaku Kikai Seisakujo Inc, also known as Itoh Optical Co. (the latter may be a distribution subsidiary) is listed as being an assembling manufacturer and located at 5-227 Ikebukuro, Toshima-Ku, Tokyo, Japan in 1957. They are believed to have distributed binoculars under the
LINET BINOCULARS
name. They appear by JB code as a manufacturer of some full size binoculars, but Linet miniature pattern binoculars observed so far were manufactured by Meiji Seiko Kōgaku.
|
|
LEAH JANA ENTERPRISES, INC. (USA)
Probably also
JANA ENTERPRISES, INC. |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (believed owned or used):
JANA
BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
OPEN CORPORATES, NYS DIV OF CORPORATIONS, POPULAR SCIENCE AD
|
|
(NOTE: partly speculative). Leah Jana Enterprises Inc (1984-1992) of 1671 East 16th St Brooklyn NY USA and 4424 Bedford Ave Brooklyn NY USA is tied to miniature binoculars, and the firm Jana Enterprises Inc (1975-1981), also of New York, may have been related. One or both may have been responsible for the “
Jana
” brand of miniature binoculars, as the name seems more likely linked than coincidental.
|
|
KANTO OPTICAL INSTRUMENT CO. (JAPAN)
KANTŌ KŌGAKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
/
関東光学株式会社
KANTO OPTICAL CO. |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (believed owned):
LICHTER BINOCULARS, GOLDEN LICHTER BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION: STATEMENT IN BOOK
“ BINOCULARS AND SCOPES” BY ROBERT & ELSA REICHERT (JAPANASIA TRADE DIRECTORY (1956), JAPAN TRADE GUIDE (1954), LIST OF JAPANESE BINOCULAR MANUFACTURERS (1959)
|
|
An advertisement in the 1949 Foreign Commerce Weekly states “Kanto Optical Inst. Mfg. Inc. (manufacturers and exporters) of #3 Koto-hira cho, Minatoku Shiba, Tokyo seeks United States markets for ‘Glanz’ binoculars, prismglas and opera glasses”. This positively links Glanz to Kanto, as do markings on full size binoculars linking Glanz to Kanto to K.O.C. as shown. Kanto Optical Inst Mfg Co shows up in the 1958 Owens register, and 1966 Optical Industry and Systems directory, though in the latter at 6 Nishikubo, Sakuragawa-cho, Minato ku, Tokyo, and the [probably same entity] Kanto Optical Industrial Co Ltd shows up on the 1959 list of binoculars makers, though at an address of 3, Shiba-Kotohira-cho, Minato Ku, Tokyo. Kantō Kōgaku KK, believed the same entity, also translates as kanto Optical Co., supporting the K.O.C. marking. This does raise some question on K.O.C. and K.O.I.C. markings on other brands of binoculars, such as Lichter and United. See Kuroki listing below. Kanto observed active at least 1949-1966.
|
|
Robert and Elsa Reichert state in their 1961 book “ Binoculars and Scopes”
that Lichter binoculars are distributed by the Kuroki Optical Instrument Co, and Lichter and Golden Lichter binoculars appear with K.O.C. markings (as do Kanto binoculars, see Kanto listing above) for Kuroki Optical Co and K.O.I.C. markings for Kuroki Optical instrument Co. Given the complexity of Japanese binoculars manufacture it is documented in other instances that two separate entities have used the same initials and also names, and also that two companies with different names are the manufacturing and exporting arms of the same entity, or that one subcontracted manufacture to the other, and also that there are more than one English interpretation of a Japanese language company name.
|
|
USA
MARKET |
|
WEIDMANN & SOHN AG (SWITZERLAND) |
|
BRANDS W/ MINIATURE BINOCULAR: (trademark owner)
WESO BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
DIRECTORY LISTINGS, WEBSITE, SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY |
|
The Swiss firm of Weidmann & Sohn Gustav Maurer St 9, Zollikon Switzerland, existing since 1912 as an importer and exporter from the Far East, and after 1960 from Japan, held Swiss trademark #2P-319546 for binoculars and many other items from May 1982-present
|
|
Photo credit: Esdaile family history |
|
UK
MARKET |
|
EUROPE
MARKET |
|
GERMANY
MARKET |
|
SWITZERLAND
MARKET |
|
Distribution of Japanese Miniature Binoculars
.
Miniatur Fernglas Verteilung. Jumelles Miniature Distribution.
Миниатюрные бинокли распределения.
小型双眼鏡配布
.
Miniatyr Kikare Distribution. Prismáticos en Miniatura Distribución. Distribuzione dei Binocoli Giapponesi Miniatura. |
|
USA
MARKET |
|
CANADIAN
MARKET |
|
AUSTRALIAN
MARKET |
|
AUSTRALIAN
MARKET |
|
UK
MARKET |
|
UK
MARKET |
|
UK
MARKET |
|
UK
MARKET |
|
UK
MARKET |
|
UK
MARKET |
|
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GREENKAT LTD (UK) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (UK TM owned)
GREENKAT BINOCULARS, KESTREL BINOCULARS, FALCON BINOCULARS
FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS (UK TM owned)
NIMROD BINOCULARS, EYAS BINOCULARS, PEGASUS BINOCULARS
PRIMARY
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
UK GOV. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE
, UK COMPANIES HOUSE, b |
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UK importer Greenkat Ltd of 26 a St Dunstan’s Hall, Cheam, Surrey, UK. held UK trademark #842586 for “Greenkat” for optical apparatus from 12/6/1962 expired 12/1997 and held UK trademark #1111759 for a logo for “Greenkat” from 3/27/1979 expired 3/2000. Greenkat also held a number of UK trade marks for other binoculars names, such as UK trademark #1055304 for Kestral binoculars (1975), UK trademark #1135777 for Falcon for binoculars (1980), UK trademark #877843 for Myascope for optical apparatus (1965), Nimrod for binoculars (1980), Eyas for binoculars (1985), and Pegasus for binoculars (1985).According to UK Companies house Greenkat Ltd was dissolved in 1993.This collection holds a 1967 Greenkat catalog. . To view it click
RESEARCH MATERIALS #1
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