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ZUIHO OPTICAL INSTRUMENT CO., LTD. (Japan) Zuihō Kōgaku Seiki K.K./ 瑞宝光学精機㈱ ZUIHO OPTICAL CO LTD |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: ZUIHO BINOCULARS, probably AZUZA BINOCULARS (indicated/unproven), probably MEGAPHOS BINOCULARS (indicated/unproven) PRIMARY SOURCE OF INFORMATION : CAMERAPEDIA , JAPANESE MANUFACTURER’S CODES FOR OPTICAL PRODUCTS (Europa/Bill Beacom), HISTORIC CAMERA |
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Japan based Zuihō Optical Instrument Co. was a Japanese trading company and/ distributor and exporter and assembling manufacturer of binoculars, and also handled and or manufactured cameras, microscopes, and surveying transits and levels, and probably other products. Zuiho was probably operating in the 1940’s as Zuihō Sokuryō Kiki K.K. ( 瑞宝測量機器㈱ ) and by the early 1950’s as Zuihō Kōgaku Seiki K.K. ( 瑞宝光学精機㈱ ) in Kyōbashi, making binoculars and measuring instruments. Zuiho Optical Co Ltd was formed in 1956 to distribute the Honor brand cameras made by Meijro, and by 1958 had probable merged or bought Meijro and was listed as manufacturing the cameras. As was documented with other companies that both manufactured and distributed and exported both their own and other brands and goods including those they contracted to have manufactured for them, the manufacturing and trading companies were usually affiliated but somewhat separate. On the 1959 list of optical manufacturers Zuihō Optical instrument Co ( JB25 ) had an address at 3-7, Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, and was active assembling binoculars at least through 1964. The CEO of Zuihō Optical Instrument Co. Yamada Shizuka ( 山田静 ) reportedly was head of the Japan Binoculars Export Promotion Association. The Association published books and pamphlets on Japanese binoculars and how to choose binoculars through at least 1965, but may also have had a role in managing production levels among it’s members. TO SEE OUR ZUIHO BINOCULARS NAVIGATE TO PHOTO GALLERY #6 . |
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USA MARKET |
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LENCO PHOTO PRODUCTS/ LENCO, INC. USA) |
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USA MARKET |
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TAYMOR INDUSTRIES (CANADA) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (brand used? ) KURT MULLER OPTICA BINOCULARS |
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Taymor Industries Ltd of Canada distributed a very wide range of products over the years from bathroom hardware and tools to boats and camping goods, and has had several distinctive trade marked “TAYMOR” logos. It is believed that as part of the range of camping goods (tents, backpacks, cook stoves, Mountain House freeze dried foods) Taymor offered a range of imported Japanese binoculars in the 1960’s and 1970’s branded as “Kurt Muller Optica” or “Kurt Muller”, including miniature pattern binoculars. A good number of the larger “Kurt Muller” binoculars are observed to also have the distinctive Taymor Industries logo (though some Kurt Muller branded binoculars that look a bit earlier do not have the logo) |
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CANADA MARKET |
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Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. Binoculars MUSEUM |
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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. |
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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. |
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WHOLESALE PHOTO SUPPLY CO INC (USA) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS LUCIFER BINOCULARS, TASCO BINOCULARS, THROBRED BINOCULARS, NIPPON KOGAKU MIKRON FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: CARL ZEISS, WOLLENSAK, SELSI, STEINHEIL, AIRGUIDE, COLMONT, LEMAIRE, WOODSMAN, HEINE, STELLAR, PALOMAR, SWIFT & ANDERSON, JASON, THOROBRED, MT RANIER, RANGER, SANS & STREIFFE, SPORTSTER, SCOPE, NIPPON KOGAKU, HEINE, KERN, BINOCULARS |
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Wholesale Photo Supply Co Inc of 42 W Cermak Rd Chicago 16 Illinois USA (1956) and subsequently of 2229 S Michigan Ave Chicago Illinois USA (1960) is known through their large and expansive catalogs to have been active at least from 1956-1960 selling at wholesale to camera stores, but otherwise at this point in time seem not to have left much of a documented footprint (general lack of advertisements, absent from directories, and not on the Illinois corporate database). This collection holds their 1956 and 1960 catalogs. TO SEE OUR WHOLESALE PHOTO SUPPLY CATALOGS NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #05 . |
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HEDLER (GERMANY) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS HEDLER BINOCULARS FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: HEDLER BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCE OF INFORMATION: 1966 Hedler binoculars catalogs and brochures, WIPO Global Brand Database database Hedler Systemlicht USA/NEID LLC |
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Hedler was founded in 1945 as a photo studio and photo products distributor. Between 1961 and 1972 Hedler distributed slide projectors and Japanese binoculars to the German market, and probably to other European countries under the “Hedler” brand name. In 1976 Hedler received a German trademark # DE947142 for the Hedler logo (figurative & word mark) for NICE classes 9 & 11 as had been previously used on binoculars, but at that point intended for use on photo lighting products. By 1966 Hedler had retail locations in the German cities of Hamburg, Hanover, Dusseldorf, Franfurt, Stuttgard, and Nurnberg with a primary address of 200 Hamburg 74 Schiffbeker H ö e 22. In 1968 Hedler introduced forced air photographic lighting and after 1972 started to concentrate on those products, becoming the current well known photographic lighting equipment firm Hedler Systemlicht. This collection holds their 1966 catalog. TO SEE OUR HEDLER CATALOG NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #03 . |
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KOMURA LENS CO (JAPAN) SANKYŌ KŌKI K.K. / 三協光機㈱ (JAPAN) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS KOMURA LENS CO BINOCULARS |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (OWNED) KOMURA LENS CO BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFO.: CAMERA WIKI ORG, US PATENTS & TRADEMARKS OFF. |
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Sankyō Kōki K.K. (also appearing on some documents as Sankyo Kohki), produced and distributed products (predominantly lenses) under the Komura and Chibanon brand names, at least as early as 1953. Sankyo held US trademark # 72134157 for a Komura logo (for camera equipment) filed Dec 15,1961. At that time the company was Sankyo Koki Co, Ltd, 69 Kita-Inaricho, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan. By the mid 1970s, the company changed it's name to Komura Lens Manufacturing, Ltd. Miniature binoculars exist marked “Komura Lens Mfg Ltd”, made by TOA Kogaku, which appear to be from around the 1970’s. Miniature binoculars also exist marked “Komura”, presumably brand rather than company, and from when the company was still Sankyo Koki Co, Ltd,. The company became insolvent in 1980 and is believed not to have survived beyond 1981. TO SEE OUR KOMURA LENS BINOCULARS NAVIGATE TO PHOTO GALLERY # 11 . |
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APOLLO OPTIK GmbH (GERMANY) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (OWNED) APOLLO BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: DPMA/ Deutsches Patent und Markenamt, Standard and Poor, IP Australia, UK Intellectual Property Office, Wikipedia |
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Apollo Optik is a optical goods retailer, with emphasis on retail eyewear, currently operating in 40 countries, and claimed to be the largest optics co in Europe. The co held German trademark # 787085 for APOLLO for binoculars Sept 1963-June 2013 and Australian trademark # 242690 for APOLLO for optical instruments including field glasses Sept 1970-Sept 2025 and UK word trademark # 899304 for APOLLO for class 9 optical apparatus from Sept 1966-2001 |
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CURRY & PAXTON (OPTICIANS) LTD. (UK) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: TBD FULL SIZE BINOCULARS BRANDS: REGENT, ROSS, ZEISS, BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: 1964 Curry & Paxton binoculars catalog, UK Companies House, Wikipedia |
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Curry & Paxton originated as a UK manufacturer of ophthalmic instruments and lenses in the Victorian period (1880’s), and by the 1960’s were a chain of opticians distributing eyewear, were noted for supplying the iconic cold war glasses Michael Caine wore in the 1960’s films Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin, and others. Like many opticians, they also sold binoculars. In 1964 they had 27 UK locations. In 1987 they merged into Boots Opticians. TO SEE OUR CURRY & PAXTON CATALOG NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #01 . |
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Photo cedit: Wikimedia |
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In the binoculars marking above the “ Z ” in circle is believed that of the export trading co Zuiho Optical Co Ltd, and the JB25 the code of the affiliated assembling manufacturers Zuihō Kōgaku Seiki K.K |
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EUROPE MARKET |
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EUROPE MARKET |
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UK MARKET |
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WORLDWIDE MARKETS |
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UTS/ UNITED TECHNICAL SUPPLIES LTD. (UK) |
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United Technical Supplies Ltd. Of 29 Tottenham Court Rd London England was a purveyor of optical goods, barometers, microscopes, compasses, watches, and similar items from their store location and by mail/catalog. They were seen to advertise from around 1962 TO 1972 but were probably active earlier. As well as new binoculars and telescopes, they had war surplus binoculars and sighting devices, and watches, which was common in the UK binoculars trade in the 1950’s and early 1960’s prior to Japanese importation opening up. UTS apparently ceased trading Jan 1973. TO SEE OUR CURRY & PAXTON CATALOG NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #06 |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (handled) NIPOLE (CHARLES FRANK) BINOCULARS , TOHYOH BINOCULARS FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (handled) ROSS, BAUSCH & LOMB, BARR & STROUD, LINDERMAN, REGENT, WRAY, UNISCOPE, GREENKAT, MICRO CROWN, LUNA, BECK, SCOPE, JANIK PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION : UTS CATALOGS, LONDON GAZETTE JAN 19 1973 |
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UNITED TECHNICAL SUPPLIES LIMITED At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the above-named Company, duly convened', and held at 140 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1P OJD, on the 17th January 1973, thesubjoined Special Resolution was duly passed: " That the Company be wound up voluntarily, and thatA. M. Jackson, Secretary, of United Scientific Holdings Limited, 140 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1P OJD, be and he is hereby appointed Liquidator for the purposes of such winding-up."(243) P. K. Levene |
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LONDON GAZETTE 19 Jan 1973 |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (U.S. TM owner) GOLD CREST BINOCULARS, (?) LENCO PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: ILLINOIS SECRETARY OF STATE, US PATENTS AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, CAMERAPEDIA, CAMERA-WIKI ORG |
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Lenco Photo Products or Lenco Inc of 2048 West North Avenue, Chicago, Illinois was a US distributor of photographic products, including lenses, cameras, binoculars, projectors, and camera accessories, many of which it sold under its own brand names. The company was initially known as Lenco Photo Sales, and was located in Detroit Michigan in 1947. The company reportedly eventually had offices in California, Illinois, Michigan, New York and Texas. Lenco held US trademark #72182953 for Gold Crest for binoculars Dec. 1963, reassigned to GAF in 1969, and to Interphoto Corp in 1973. TO SEE OUR GOLD CREST BINOCULARS NAVIGATE TO PHOTO GALLERY #6 |
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MONTGOMERY-FROST-LOYD’S CO, INC USA) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (believed non TM owner) M-F-L TERRAQUASCOPE BINOCULARS FULL SIZE BINOCULARS BRAND BRAND (believed non TM owner) MONTGOMERY FROST LLOYD CO TERRAQUASCOPE BINOCULARS, ANDREW J LLOYD CO TERRAQUASCOPE BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: OBSERATION OF MARKINGS, OPEN CORPORATIONS, MAS CORPORATIONS DIVISIONS, VARIOUS DIRECTORIES |
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Montgomery-Frost -Lloyd’s Co, Inc was incorporated In Massachusetts USA in Feb 1907, with dissolution Dec 1990. The somewhat odd name reflects the merger of the Montgomery Frost Co and the Andrew J Lloyd Co., which had been founded in 1870, and I believe they continued with retail locations under both “co” names through most of their operation. At one point there were Montgomery Frost Co locations at 414 Boylston St Boston, 40 Bromfield St. Boston, 590 Beacon St Boston and 101 Ave. Boston and at one point there were Andrew J Lloyd retail locations in Boston at 315 Washington St and 310 Boylston St and 75 Summer St, and 1252 Mass Ave, and in Cambridge, Salem and Brocton, Ma. Lloyd locations were noted for binoculars, opera glasses, barometers, telescopes, cameras, projectors, photographic goods and the company was also listed as “manufacturing opticians”. Montgomery Frost Lloys/s Co Inc was listed as opticians and also importers and Montgomery Frost, Andrew Lloyd and Montgomery Frost Lloyd are observed on imported optical goods from Europe and Japan. Terraquascope binoculars were also sold by Stoddards, a Boston and Newton Ma. Dealer in cutlery fishing tackle, and optical goods. |
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BINOCULARS RESEARCH WEBSITE, NOT FOR PROFIT FERNGLAS-FORSCHUNGS-WEBSITE, NICHT GEWINNORIENTIERT SITE DE RECHERCHE SUR LES JUMELLES, À BUT NON LUCRATIF |
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MARK OHNO |
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ミニチュア双眼鏡 миниатюрные бинокли |
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TANROSS SUPPY CO, INC (USA) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (believed non TM owner) CLEARSITE BINOCULARS, (owned) TASCO BINOCULARS FULL SIZE BINOCULARS BRAND BRAND: TASCO ( PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: US PATENTS AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, APPEAL OF 1956 U.S. CUSTOMS COURT CASE AGAINST FREIGHT FORWARDER LANSEN NAEVE CORP OVER IMPORTATION OF CLEARSITE BINOCULARS, WIKIPEDIA, FLORIDA SECRETARY OF STATE, CLASSIC TELESCOPES BY NEIL ENGLISH, WIPO, US PATENT & TRADEMARK OFFICE |
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Tanross Supply Co. Inc. of 7155 W. 3rd Ave Miami 38 Florida USA was founded in 1954 as an importer of goods including binoculars, and filed for incorporation in Florida on 02/06/1959. They had associated entities such as Tasco Sales Inc. of 4310 Anderson Rd Coral Gables Florida incorporated in Florida 6/4/1956, presumably using TA nross S upply CO for the TASCO name. At the time there were distinct advantages to having different parts of a company such as importation, distribution, etc. set up as distinct separated business entities. A successor company to Tasco Sales was company Tasco Worldwide Inc of Mirimar, Florida which filed for incorporation 3/25/1996, and several other entities. Tasco Worldwide entered liquidation May 29, 2002 and Wind Point Partners (owners of Bushnell at the time) purchased the “Tasco” brand name and intellectual property in June 2002. The Tasco entities prior to 2002 were involved in importing optics and distributing them under the Tasco brand name. Tasco held Canadian trademark #TMA 167970 for binoculars from 6/1970 citing Canadian use from 1961, expunged 2006. Tasco held US trademark # 72246401 TASCO for binoculars from 3/1967 to present. TO SEE OUR 1968 AND 1976 TASCO CATALOGS NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #05 . |
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TASCO (USA) |
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USA MARKET |
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MATSUCHIDA OPTICAL DEPT STORE (Japan) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (handled): NIPPON KOGAKU, LUPINUS, OFUNA, AOCo, MEIJI SEIKO, NIKON BINOCULARS FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS (handled) NIPPON KOGAKU, NIKON, KOWA, LUPINUS, CANON, TOKYO KOGAKU, OFUNA, OKAYA BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION : MATSUCHIDA CATALOGS, CAMERAPEDIA |
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Originally part of an eyeglass shop from around 1947, the Matsushima Optical Dept Store located at 3-Chome, Ginza, Tokyo was an optical retailer active in the 1950’s and probably early 1960’s. It had an outsized influence on the US market by catering to the US military, military families, and US business presence in Tokyo by arranging for tax free sales for tourist and foreign visitor export. Many of their “tax free” camera and optical goods catalogs were carried back by people returning to the USA, and became synonymous with the low prices of gray market name brand optical goods carried home to the US from Japan. People would show friends the prices in the catalogs on their return, and then buy stuff for them on their next trip. These catalogs are great for research because of the early dates and wide scope of models and brands documented. TO SEE OUR 1950’S 1960’s MATSUCHIDA OPT DEPT STORE CATALOGS NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #04 . |
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FOR OUR MILITARY & FULL SIZE BINOCULARS see sections OTHER BINOCULARS & BIG & SMALL |
