F. Charten & Co. was a Japanese distributor in the mid-1930s, based in the Osaka and Kobe metropolitan area.[1] It was certainly specialized in export,[2] and placed advertisements in British publications, under the motto "Japan Everything Photographic".[3][4]
In early 1934, F. Charten & Co. was offering the Olympic A, with the mention "Agent wanted", and was mentioning a "complete catalogue of Japanese products".[3] In late 1936, it was offering the large format F.C. Home Portrait Camera with square bellows, in two formats: 4¾×6½in for £4.13s. and 13×18cm for £5.3s., including three plate holders, a tripod and cases for the camera and tripod.[4] It was also offering the Glove enlarger, taking negatives up to 6.5×9cm.[4]
Advertisement by F. Charten in The British Journal of Photography Almanac 1937. (Image rights) |
Notes[]
- ↑ The address appears as P.O. Box 1153 Sannomiya Kobe in the advertisement in The British Journal of Photography March 1934, reproduced in Tanaka, p.8 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.14, and as 26 Azukimachi 3-chome Osaka in the advertisement in The British Journal of Photography Almanac 1937, p.666.
- ↑ No Japanese advertisement placed by the company has yet been found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Advertisement in The British Journal of Photography March 1934, reproduced in Tanaka, p.8 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.14.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Advertisement in The British Journal of Photography Almanac 1937, p.666.
Bibliography[]
- Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Rikō kamera no nagare" (リコーカメラの流れ, Evolution of the Ricoh cameras). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.8–11.
- The British Journal Photographic Almanac 1937, edited by Arthur J. Dalladay. London: Henri Greenwood & Co., Ltd. Publication date not indicated, certainly late 1936. Advertisement by F. Charten & Co. on p.666.