K MART
Waco, Texas, USA 1968 ad. Brand:
FOCAL binoculars
|
Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars.
VIRTUAL MUSEUM
|
MARK OHNO |
Period Advertising for Miniature Binoculars
Ursprüngliche Werbung für Miniaturferngläser. La Publicité Originale Pour les Jumelles Miniatures.
ミニチュア双眼鏡のヴィンテージ広告.
Старые объявления для миниатюрных бинокль.
Vintage Reklam för Kikare Miniatyr. Antigua Publicidad de Prismáticos en Miniatura. Pubblicità Vintage per Binocoli in Miniatura. |
THE BROADWAY
San Bernardino, California, USA. Dept store.
1971
ad. Brand:
CENTURA
|
THE BROADWAY
Chris-Town, Scottsdale, Fashion Park Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
1970
ad. Dept. store. Brand:
CENTURA.
Note term “Mi
c
ron shape” to invoke but not infringe on the “Mi
k
ron” trademark. |
Centura 6x15 CF binoculars |
E J KORVETTE
Pottstown, Pennsylvania USA.
1964
ad. Brand:
KORVETTES
|
E J
KORVETTE
Trumbull, Connecticut, USA. Dept store.
1970
ad. Brand:
KORVETTES
|
E.J.Korvette (AKA Korvettes) was an American discount department store chain, from 1948-1980. Spartans Industries owned the Korvette trademark 1968-1990 for binoculars (Spartans merged with EJ Korvette in 1966) |
MONTGOMERY WARD
Kansas City, Missouri, USA 1959 ad Brands:
ADAMS, PLUM
|
Adams 6x15 binoculars |
MACYS
San Mateo California, USA. Dept store.
1959
ad.
|
HOWLANDS
Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA. Dept store.
1960
ad.
|
WAR SURPLUS STORES
2405 American Ave, Long Beach; and 926 19th St., Bakersfield; and1413 Lincoln St., Santa Monica; and 918 South Main St., Los Angeles, California, USA
1950
ad
|
UNITED BINOCULAR CO.
9043 S. Western Av., Chicago, Illinois, USA
1956 Christmas catalog
Brands:
UNITED, sometimes YOSHIDA or RKK or AOCo or Nippon Kogaku binoculars
|
NICHOLS
Canandaigua New York,
1976
ad. Brands:
TASCO binoculars
|
CONWAY CAMERA CO
Andover/Graceland & Evanston Illinois,
USA. Camera stores.
1957
ad
|
FRED AMES
1315Cottonwood, Richland, Washington USA.
1951
ad. Brand:
BUSNHELL binoculars
|
H & H SURPLUS
1028 West Baltimore St., Baltimore, Maryland USA
1966
ad. Brand:
unknown
|
BOSCOV’S
, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA.
1972
ad. Brand:
STELLAR binoculars
|
GIBSON’S DISCOUNT CENTER
Lubbock, Texas, USA.
1968
ad. Brand:
TASCO BINOCULARS
|
BALK AND SON
Carroll, Iowa, USA.
1951
ad Brand:
APEX binoculars
|
EIKOW OPTICAL CO
LTD Japan
1967
manufacturer’s catalog. Brand:
EIKOW, AIRPORT. 6x15 and 7x18 independent focus and center focus shown.
|
HOOVER
1032 SW Jackson, Portland Or USA.
1950
Advertisement. Importer, mail order retailer. Brands: Unknown, probably AOCo/Asahi Optical or AOCo/Bushnell |
United Binocular Co of Chicago Illinois USA was an active binoculars importer for a great many years and mailed catalogs to anybody in the USA who requested them, so they are among the most common of vintage binoculars catalogs. The catalogs are never dated, but the company was founded in 1936 and there is a page inside that mentions “20th year of binocular know how” or “ 30th year…”, so they can be dated that way. The catalogs covers were sometimes used for a couple years before being redesigned, or even the basic picture used a decade later with a different color. Also, dated inserts or sale prices are sometimes enclosed. And catalogs are sometimes still in their postmarked envelope. By the way, I think somebody in the company really liked waterfalls, and there is probably a story behind that. |
Calculating the date of United Binocular Co Catalogs.
Berechung der Datum „United Binocular Co.“ Katalogen. Calcut de la Date de catalogues
«United Binocullar Co» Beräkning av Dagen för ‘United Binocular Co’. El Càlculo de la Fecha de «Catálogos United Binocular Co». |
1953 |
1957 |
1963 |
1966 |
1956 |
Advertisements cropped & edited for relevance. Presented for not-for-profit purposes of historical research and education. Vintage advertisements give insight into the nature of binoculars distribution and into dates of retail activity of brands and models. |
NC STORES
Fairbanks, Alaska, USA.
1954
ad. Brand:
LICHTER binoculars
|
1953 |
COAST INSTRUMENT
Long Beach, California USA.
1952
ad. Brand:
Bushnell binoculars
|
MACKS SPORTING GOODS
1666 Washington Blvd, Ogden, Utah, USA
1957
Ad. Sporting goods retailer. Brand:
S & A binoculars.
S & A was
SWIFT AND ANDERSON
, which later became
SWIFT
|
UPDYKE’S SPORTING GOODS
,
428 Penn St.,Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, USA
1950
Brand:
NIPPON KOGAKU MIKRON binoculars
|
PALLEY SUPPLY CO
6321 San Fernando Rd, Glendale, California USA.
1951
ad.
|
SCHIEDERMAYER’S HARDWARE
Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. Hardware store
1967
ad.
|
ALEXANDERS
Bridgeport Ct. Dept. stores.
1976
ad.
|
ZCMI
Provo, Utah, USA.
1973
ad. Brand:
TASCO
|
ZCMI
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
1973
|
GIBSON’S DISCOUNT CENTER
Ogden, Utah USA.
1963
ad. Brand:
HORIZON BINOCULARS
|
ALMART
Wilmington, delaware USA.
1969
ad. Brand:
TASCO BINOCULARS
|
CENTRAL HARDWARE
St Louis Missouri, USA
1965
Ad.
|
CENTRAL HARDWARE
St Louis Missouri, USA
1964
Ad.
|
Most catalogs almost always have a blurb such as “17th year”.
Add this to the founding year of 1936 and this is a 1953 catalog.”20th year” is a 1956 catalog. ‘27th year” is a 1963 catalog. “30th year” is a 1966 catalog. And so on. Though not dated, once in a while catalogs will also have some reference to pricing being effective as of a certain date. |
CONTACT US WITH INFORMATION OR COMMENTS:
miniature.binoculars@gmail.com
|
1955 |
BOSTON STORE
Milwaukee, Wisconson, USA 1978 ad Brand:
TASCO
|
PEERLESS CAMERA
New York City USA.
1952
ad. Brand:
LEMONT binoculars
|
PEERLESS CAMERA
New York City USA.
1952
ad.
|
PEERLESS & WILLOUGHBY
New York City USA.
1964
ad.
|