|
Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. Binoculars MUSEUM |
|
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. |
|
LE GRAN CORPORATION (USA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (U.S. TM owner) LE GRAN BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE, US PATENTS AND TRADEMARK OFFICE |
|
Le Gran Corporation of 3090 Airport Way, Long Beach, California, USA filed for incorporation in California 4/19/1961 and merged out, perhaps around 1973. It incorporated again in 10/30/1973 and merged out again. Le Gran held US trademark # 72386270 for “Le Gran” for binoculars 1972-1993 with first use claimed Nov 1969. TO SEE OUR LE GRAN BINOCULARS NAVIGATE TO PHOTO GALLERY #9 . |
|
KENKO TOKINA USA, INC (USA) K.K. HŌYA GARASU/ ㈱保谷硝子 , HOYA K.K. /HOYA ㈱ ( JAPAN) |
|
J. L. GALEF & SON (USA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS NA PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: J.L. GALEF 1950 CATALOG, NEW YORK STATE DIVISION OF CORPORATIONS |
|
J.L. Galef & Son of 85 Chambers St, NY, NY. filed for incorporation in New York on Jan 2 1946, with dissolution Nov 5, 1984. Galef was a wholesale distributor of binoculars, optical goods, watches, air guns, firearms, and cameras/camera accessories. TO SEE OUR 1930 AND 1950 J.L. GALEF & SON CATALOGS NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #02 . |
|
Miura Shoji K.K. also known as Miura Trading Co Ltd. of 206 New Kokusai Bldg. Marunouchi, Chiyoda-Ku, Japan held Japanese trademark #407,661 for Manon from Jan 1952, and held US trademark #72197837 for “Manon” for binoculars, microscopes, telescopes, monoculars and camera equipment from Feb 1963 until Nov 2006. The company also held Japanese trademark 520,864 for Shrine from May 24 1958, and held US trademark # 72198571 for “Shrine” for binoculars from feb 1966 Nov 2006. The company was known to been distributing cameras (Gemflex) at least as early as 1949, and distributed binoculars, telescopes, cameras and camera accessories under “Manon” and ”Manon Shrine” brands. Today both the names Miura Shoji K.K. and Miura Trading Co. Ltd are common in Japan for a number of different current companies probably unassociated with this entity (automobiles, apparel, furnishings, pearls and gems, ) and one somewhat more plausibly related entity who distributes photographic accessories. TO SEE OUR 2 MIURA/MANON CATALOGS NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #04 . |
|
MIURA SHOJI K.K. ( 三浦商事 ) MIURA TRADING CO. LTD. (JAPAN) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (U.S.TM owner) MANON BINOCULARS CONVENTIONAL BINOCULAR BRANDS (U.S. TM owner) SHRINE BINOCULARS & TELESCOPES PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: US PATENTS AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, MIURA TRADING CO LTD. MANON BROCHURE (date unknown) |
|
BERNS WHOLESALE SPORTING GOODS (USA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (handled) JANA BINOCULARS, BERNSPORT BINOCULARS (PROBABLY BUT SPECULATIVE) PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: 1966 BERNS WHOLESALE |
|
Berns Wholesale Sporting Goods of 625 W 12th Av., Denver, Colorado was a wholesale distributor of fishing equipment, guns and ammunition, camping equipment, binoculars, cameras, and sporting goods. The company does not appear to have been incorporated in Colorado. (a company of the same name was incorporated in Delaware, a practice which has tax advantages). TO SEE OUR 1966 BERNS CATALOG NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #01 . |
|
API Spa. (ITALY) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (handled) PENTAX BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: API CATALOG, |
|
API Spa. of Casella Postale 616, 50100 Firenze, Italy is believed the importer/ distributor of Pentax binoculars and cameras for Italy, during the time that 6x15 and 6x25 “M” pattern binoculars were part of the Pentax product line. TO SEE OUR API Spa PENTAX CATALOG NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #01 . |
|
S.E. LASZLO (USA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (U.S. TM owner) HY-SCORE BINOCULARS, GRAND VIEW BINOCULARS (handled) YOSHIDA THOROBRED BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: 1954 S.E. LASZLO CATALOG, US PATENT & TRADEMARK OFFICE |
|
S.E. Laszlo of 200 Tillery St., Brooklyn, NY was founded in 1933 as an importer and wholesale distributor of binoculars, cameras, telescopes, barometers, air guns etc. They claimed to be supplying 10,000 shops and stores. S.E. Laszlo held US trademark #72322772 holder for HY Score” for binoculars, revolvers, air guns, ammo & starter guns from March 1969-1992 with first commercial use claimed in 1960. As well as the HY Score binoculars in this collection, I do own HY Score air guns and pellets. TO SEE OUR HY SCORE BINOCULARS NAVIGATE TO PHOTO GALLERY #4 .TO SEE OUR 1952 AND 1954 AND 1966 S.E. LASZLO CATALOGS NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #03 |
|
DAVE COOK SPORTING GOODS CO, INC. (USA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (owned)? DACOTE BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: COLORADO SECRETARY OF STATE, DAVE COOK 1952 FLYER, regional newspapers, FUNDING UNIVERSE |
|
Dave and Max Cook opened a sporting goods co in Colorado USA in 1924. After buying his brother out the Dave Cook Sporting Goods Co was opened in Denver, Co. in 1936. Dave Cook Sporting Good Co Inc filed for incorporation in Colorado 6/1/1946, and incorporation was withdrawn 3/22/1988 when the chain was purchased by Gart Sporting Goods. Dave Cook Sporting Goods was a Colorado regional outdoor outfitter and sporting goods chain. I believe that they imported, and sold at retail through their own outlets and by mail order, and distributed at wholesale through other retailers in Colorado, New Mexico and California from around 1952 through around 1976 binoculars under the “Dacote” brand name. The “Dacote” brand name does not seem to have been trade marked, and ownership cannot be fully substantiated. Dave Cook advertised “Dacote” binoculars from 1952 through 1976. According to Funding Universe, at the time that Gart Sporting Goods purchased the Dave Cook Sporting Goods Co, Inc. chain in 1988 for $20 million, they had 21stores in Colorado plus 1 store in Casper Wyoming. . TO SEE OUR DACOTE BINOCULARS NAVIGATE TO PHOTO GALLERY #3 .TO SEE OUR 1952 DAVE COOK CATALOG NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #01 |
|
1952 Dave Cook advertising flyer |
|
THE BROWNSCOPE MANUFACTURING CO. (USA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (owned ?) BROWNSCOPE BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: CATALOG, OBSERVATION |
|
The Brownscope Manufacturing Co. was a catalog mail order retailer and storefront retailer and probably importer and perhaps manufacturer of telescopes, binoculars, and microscopes. They do not appear to have incorporated in New York state, nor does “Brownscope” appear to have been trade marked in the USA. Brownscope advertised in magazines as early as 1933 and as late as 1953. Brownscope was located at 24 W. 45th St., NY, NY.“Brownscope” branded 6x15 binoculars made in occupied Japan (so probably 1949-1952) are known. |
|
CAMERA SPECIALTY CO. (CASPECO) (USA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (owned or used?) EDIXA BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: CAMERAPEDIA |
|
The Camera Specialty Co. of 705 Bronx River Rd., Bronxville, NY, USA was operating by 1940, and by 1954 was operating from the Bronx River Rd address as an importer and of distributor of photographic products. Camera Specialty Co. held US trademark # 72026323 for “Edixa” for various camera related items on March 1957-October1985 . |
|
W. CARSEN CO LTD. (CANADA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (owned probably) CARL WETZLAR BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: CANADIAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE |
|
W. Carsen Co. Limited of 31 Scarsdale Road, Don Mills,383G7 Ontario, Canada was formed in 1946 as an importer/distributor of photographic and optical products, particularly Olympus cameras. W. Carsen Co. Ltd. filed for a Canadian trademark for a “Carsen” logo as seen on the miniature binoculars box at right on 11/25/1977. Carsen later became Carsen Group Ltd., 151 Telsen Rd., Markham, Ontario. The company distributed binoculars in Canada under the “Carl Wetzlar” brand, which does not seem to have been trade marked. I have been told that the Carl Wetzlar binoculars were widely sold through Canadian K Mart chain stores, as well as other outlets. TO SEE OUR CARL WETZLAR BINOCULARS NAVIGATE TO PHOTO GALLERY #2 |
|
LEE-ROBERT CO. (USA) |
|
MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (handled) SWIFT BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: 1953 LEE-ROBERT CO CATALOG |
|
Lee-Robert Co. of 125 North Wabash Ave, Chicago, Illinois was a wholesale distributor of outdoor sporting goods, fishing equipment, bicycles, hobbies, and household goods. TO SEE OUR 1953 LEE ROBERT CATALOG NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #04 . |
|
Kowa Company, Ltd. 6-29, Nishiki 3-chome, Naka-Ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, Japan was formed as Kōwa Kōki Seisakusho after WWII, though the company had existed in some form since around 1894, and Kowa manufactured cameras from 1954 to 1978, and distributed or manufactured binoculars and spotting scopes and for a longer period. Kowa Co Ltd. held UK trademark # 881446 for “Lupinus” for binoculars from 1965 to 2000. And Kowa Co Ltd. Held Canadian trademark #0328366 for “Lupinus” for binoculars from 1972-2003 but with Canadian use claimed since 1969. And Kowa Co Ltd. held US trademark # 73460118 for the “Lupinus” logo for binoculars from May 1985 until cancelled 2/18/2006 but with first commercial use claimed in 1958. And Kowa Co Ltd held Australian word trademark #195829 for “Lupinus” for binoculars, spotting scopes, optical instruments and other things from July 1965-2000. And Kowa Co Ltd held Australian word trademark #177826 for “KOWA” from Dec 1962 to the present. Kowa still holds US trade marks for Lupinus for use on lighting fixtures. Most Lupinus brand binoculars seem to have been actually manufactured by various other Japanese contract manufacturers, such as Omori Sogo Kogaku for the miniature models, and (observed) Kofu Kogaku, Musashi Kogaku, and probably others for the conventional full sized models. Kowa is currently very active in sports optics using the Kowa brand name with operations in the USA (Kowa American Corp) and Europe (Kowa Optimed Gmbh), as well as Kowa Optical Products Co Ltd in Japan. TO SEE OUR LUPINUS BINOCULARS NAVIGATE TO PHOTO GALLERY #2 . TO SEE OUR KOWA CATALOG NAVIGATE TO BINOCULAR CATALOGS #03 . |
|
KOWA CO. LTD., KŌWA KŌKI SEISAKUSHO (JAPAN) |
|
MINIATURE & FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRAND (U.S./UK/Canada/Australia TM owner) LUPINUS BINOCULARS FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRAND (Australia TM owner) KOWA BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: CAMERAPEDIA, US PATENT & TRADEMARK OFFICE, CANADIAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE, UK GOV. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE, GALES BRANDS AND THEIR MANUFACTURERS, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AUSTRALIA |
|
USA MARKET |
|
USA MARKET |
|
USA MARKET |