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AMERICAN THERMO-WARE CO.(USA) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRAND (U.S. TM owner): ATCO BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: US PATENT & TRADEMARK OFFICE, NY DEPT OF STATE DIV OF CORPORATIONS, GALES “BRANDS AND THEIR COMPANIES”, OFFICIAL GAZETTE OF THE US PATENT OFFICE SEPT 1949 |
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American Thermo-ware Company of 12-16 Warren St. NY, NY filed in New York state on Feb 14, 1901 with dissolution Sept 4, 1985. American Thermo-ware held US trademark# 7166673 from May 1954-May 1996 for ATCO for binoculars claiming first use in 1924, and held US trademark # US trademark #72075964 for “ ATCO ” in a diamond shape for binoculars and other goods from Mar 1960 to April 2001, claiming first commercial use of logo in 1951. They distributed binoculars, microscope & lab supplies, barometers, etc and were selling binoculars as early as 1910, and had filed for US trademark use of ATCO on binoculars as early as 1924 claiming use since 1915. |
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ATCO logo trade mark Mar 1960 |
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USA MARKET |
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J.J. VICKERS & SONS LTD. (UK) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULARS BRANDS (UK TM owner) SWALLOW BINOCULARS MINIATURE BINOCULARS BRNDS: (distributed/ sales agent ) GREENKAT BINOCULARS, SWIFT BINOCULARS, SAVOY BINOCULARS, FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (UK TM owner) SWALLOW COMMANDER BINOCULARS, SEADOG BINOCULARS FULL SIZE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (distributed or sales agent) CARL ZEISS DELTRINIM & THEATRIS BINOCULARS, SWIFT SCOUT BINOCULARS, GREENKAT BINOCULARS, BECK KASSEL OZELOT BINOCULARS, ROSS BINOCULARS, OPTOMAX BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: PHOTO TRADE WORLD YEARBOOK & DIRECTORY 1969/ FOUNTAIN PRESS UK, UK (GOVT) COMPANIES HOUSE |
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J. J. Vickers & Sons of 80-82 Royal St. Greenwich London SE10 UK (in 1969) was founded ON1/8/1925, and still exists, listed by UK Companies House as “sales agents”. J.J. Vickers ltd held UK trademark #890297 for a logo with the word “ SWALLOW ” for optical apparatus 1966-2021, and UK trademark#1264096 for SEADOG for optical apparatus and 1986-2017 and Uk trademark # 281063 for “ SWALLOW COMMANDER ” for binoculars & telescopes 1986-2017. It is confirmed by documentation that J.J. Vickers and Sons specifically handled Savoy 7x18 miniature binoculars, and Perl 7x18 miniature binoculars, and probably other miniature binoculars, in the late 1960’s. More recent directories still list them for binoculars, but in Chatham, Kent. |
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Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. On Line 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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W.HAKING ENTERPRISES LTD. (HONG KONG) W. HAKING MARKETING, LTD. |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (UK TMs owned): HALINA BINOCULARS, HAKING BINOCULARS FULL SIZED BINOCULAR BRANDS (UK TM owned): ODYSSEY BINOCULARS, (UK TM owned): ANSCO INDICATED PRODUCED: SKYBOLT BINOCULARS, LENTAR BINOCULARS DOCUMENTED PRODUCED: REGENT BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCE OF INFORMATION: CAMERAPEDIA, W. HAKING ENTERPRISES CORPORATE WEBSITE, US PATENT & TRADEMARKS OFFICE, INTERNATIONAL BRANDS AND THEIR COMPANIES (GALE 1991), FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW VOL 41 (1963) |
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FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW VOL 41 (1963) |
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W. Haking Enterprises Ltd. of Industrial Bldg 34 Lee Chung St 10/F Chai Wan, Hong Kong was founded in 1956 as a distributor and manufacturer of cameras and binoculars, marketed items under the brands Halina and Ansco. W . Haking Enterprises Ltd. held UK trademark #756847 for “ HALINA ” for optical apparatus from August 1956 to August 2015. W. Haking also held UK trademark #853492 for a crown logo used on binoculars, monoculars, opera grasses , and photographic and cinemagraphic goods from August 1963 to August 1998. That logo appears on the Regent and Lentar binoculars of UK importer Haddenroy Ltd, and on Skybolt binoculars, linking W. Haking Enterprises to their production and/or distribution. W Haking also held US trademark #73185632 for ANSCO for binoculars 1978-2002, Canadian trademark TMDA13085 for ANSCO for binoculars 1908-2017, and EUIPO trademark for Apsilon for binoculars 1998- 2007 |
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W. Haking Enterprises held UK trademark # 853492 from August 1963 to August 1998 for the crown at rightas used on binoculars, including Lentar, Regent, Skybolt. It is often these types of very hard to find connections that give insights into the otherwise undocumented labyrinth of distribution 50 years back. |
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TOA OPTICAL CO., LTD., TOA KŌGAKU KŌGYŌ KABUSHIKI-GEISHA, 東亜光学株式会社 |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (presumably owned): TOA OPTICAL CO. BINOCULARS, (model name) COMET, (model name) DELUXE, (model name?) G. PATEK PRIMARY SOURCE OF INFORMATION: JAPANESE MANUFACTURER’S CODE FOR OPTICAL PRODUCTS (ca 1959, Europa/Bill Beacom) |
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Toa Kogaku Co Ltd/Toa Optical Co (JB1) appeared as a manufacturer on the ca 1959 list of Japanese manufacturer codes for optical products located at 1-7 Chihaya-cho, Toshima-ku, Tokyo. They largely seem to have produced and distributed binoculars under their own name, and are observed to have made others under contract for other brand owners. There is remarkably little documentation on the company. Judging by some later styles of miniature binoculars (rubber eyecups, silk screen markings) the company was probably active at least into the 1970’s. There are a couple currently existing TOA Kogagku Co Ltd and similar entities dealing in products like microscopes, but when I contacted them they said they say they are unrelated to this earlier binocular co. |
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SAUL EIG (USA) EIG CUTLERY INC. |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS (U.S. TM holder) TELSTAR BINOCULARS (not to be confused with the similar Telesar) PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: US PATENT & TRADEMARK OFFICE, SUNBIZ CORP SEARCH |
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Saul Eig as EIG Cutlery Inc., of 2470 NW 21st St Miami Florida USA imported and sold extremely inexpensive Italian and German .22 revolvers, derringers and pistols, blank and tear gas pistols, and switchblade (automatic) knives in the USA during the 1950’s.The company was subsequently voluntarily dissolved in Jan 1985. From July 1966 to April 1970 Eig Cutlery held US trademark #72250747 for TELSTAR for binoculars & telescopes with first use in commerce in 1966. There was also a Canadian trademark #027651 from 1963 held by Kingsway Film Equip Ltd. for binoculars. |
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PALLEY SUPPLY CO (USA) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: Unknown PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: ADVERTISEMENTS |
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Palley Supply of 6321 San Fernando Rd., Glendale, Ca. was a mail order, catalog, and single location army surplus oriented retailer, and was active from around 1949, registered as a business entity with the state of California in Jan 1956, and probably ceased activity around 1989. They advertised imported miniature binoculars in full page ads in Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Motor Boating, Flying, Guns, and similar magazines in the 1950’s, but the brand or brands offered are not defined or determined. But were probably AOCo/Asahi Optical binoculars. |
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CONTACT US WITH INFORMATION OR COMMENTS: miniature.binoculars@gmail.com |
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1950 Palley Supply Advertisement |
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COAST INSTRUMENT INC. (USA) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: BUSHNELL BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: ADVERTISEMENTS |
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Coast Instrument Inc. of 4811 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach Ca. and also 2076 Cherry St. Long Beach Ca. was best known as a retail and catalog and mail order supplier of Newtonian reflector astronomical telescopes in the 1950’s. They sold telescopes and accessories under brands like Treckerscope, Pathfinder, Ortho-Star, and Hydro-Glide. But Coast instrument was also a mail order and retail dealer of Bushnell binoculars, as can be seen in the photo at right and ads at right and below. They do not appear to have been incorporated in California. |
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1955 |
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1956 |
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1952 |
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BERKELEY SCIENTIFIC Co. Ltd (CANADA) |
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MINIATURE BINOCULAR BRANDS: (owned?) BERKELEY SCIENTIFIC BINOCULARS (owned) WOLF BINOCULARS PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION: CANADIAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES OFFICE, VARIOUS ADS |
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Berkeley Scientific listed at 540 Yonge St. and 81 Portland St. in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was probably formed around 1970, and advertised themselves as a catalog retailer of binoculars, telescopes, microscopes, and consumer science kits. They filed a 4/27/1977 Canadian trademark# TMA229847 (apl 0409999) for WOLF BINOCULARS, which may not cover the observed Wolf miniature binoculars. |
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CANADA MARKET |