Jump to content

"Leica Camera Wetzlar" on new MP and M7?


Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

..mmhh "D.R." (Deutsch Reich) wouldn't sound good to many.... :rolleyes:

 

As I understand it there's nothing inherently politically incorrect about D.R.P. given it was in use from the 19th century right through until nearly a decade post WWII. After that it became D.B(Bundespatent).P. I can't remember what was engraved on the top plate of my father's M3 but I guess, by the mid/late 50's it must have been D.B.P. or some other version thereof.

Link to post
Share on other sites

[...] I can't remember what was engraved on the top plate of my father's M3 [...]

 

DBP

 

ERNST LEITZ GMBH

WETZLAR GERMANY

 

(DBP is German Federal Patent marking)

Link to post
Share on other sites

2nd:

See, we're creating our own folklore right now. It can only be good for secondhand prices, unless it's the 'crappy' ones made in Solms. :D

 

 

:DHere the sold out Leica-M stuff from Solms already started:D:

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

 

THE VERY BEST OF LEICA > PROMOTION # 8/35 & NEWS:D

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello Everybody,

 

Leica's reluctance to inscribe "Solms" or "Wetzlar" on a camera's top plate MIGHT be for another entirely different reason:

 

In the antiques & fine arts business, in regard to things manufactured after 1890-91: You sometimes come across something marked with just the name of the City or of the sub-division within a Country where it was produced: Such as "Limoges" or "Bavaria". This was done because those places had such a good reputation for the quality of what they produced that they were allowed to simply identify things made there with the name of the location.

 

Sometimes there was not even a listing of the Country's name.

 

Until recently Leica "M" camera bodies identified themselves with their city of origin, ie: "Midland" or "Wetzlar". Altho it is well known that parts manufactured in 1 of the cities were sometimes used in cameras who's top plates were inscribed with the name of the other city.

 

It is possible - WE HAVE NO DATA 1 WAY OR THE OTHER - That with the multinationality of parts manufacture, as well as the multinationality of assembly & finishing, etc - That the cameras MAY no longer qualify to be allowed to use 1 single city of manufacture on their top plates.

 

Altho they may still qualify to be considered "Made In Germany".

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

This photo from the Press Pack provided at the Centennial Celebrations and official opening of the Leitz Park facilities might be enjoyed here perhaps. It's the chrome top plate Monochrom.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Here's a specially marked Chrome M (Typ 240) from the same events :p

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Link to post
Share on other sites

This question of the "Wetzlar" name has made me surfing a little about the town in itself... I discovered (didn't know) that no many years ago "Wetzlar" in itself had disappeared as an indipendent town... but was later "re-born" for the unpopularity of such political decision :

 

<wikipedia>

On 1 January 1977, as part of Hesse's municipal reforms, Wetzlar was united with the neighbouring town of Gießen and fourteen outlying communities to form the city of Lahn. This district-free city had about 156,000 inhabitants. The amalgamation was very unpopular, and after persistent protests – not least of all from Wetzlar – the city of Lahn was dissolved on 31 July 1979, and Wetzlar once again became an independent town. The municipal reforms, however, had been "worth the trouble" for Wetzlar inasmuch as the town gained eight new outlying communities in the deal, making both the town's area and population considerably greater than they had been. Moreover, Wetzlar has since this time been the seat of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis, which also came into being at the same time.

Link to post
Share on other sites

That is interesting . I knew nothing about that history. With too many invited guests for the celebrations to accommodate in Wetzlar itself, many were staying in neighbouring towns, including Gießen (where I stayed). It is a very distinct and separate town and there is a significant commute involved. An enjoyable town to visit actually.

Link to post
Share on other sites

...

Thanks Luigi,

perhaps have a look at

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitz_(Optik) translated by https://translate.google.de/

 

"In the early 1970s it was converted into Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH, as they feared to lose the familiar names Wetzlar through the towns merging of Giessen and Wetzlar from 1977 to the city of Lahn. The city of Lahn, however, was in 1979 re-dissolved, casting and Wetzlar were independent again."

 

original in German:

"Anfang der 1970er Jahre firmierte man in Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH um, da man befürchtete, den bekannten Namen Wetzlar durch die Städtezusammenlegung von Gießen und Wetzlar von 1977 zur Stadt Lahn zu verlieren. Die Stadt Lahn wurde jedoch bereits 1979 wieder aufgelöst, Gießen und Wetzlar wurden wieder selbstständig.”

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitz_(Optik)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Luigi,

perhaps have a look at

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitz_(Optik) translated by https://translate.google.de/

 

"In the early 1970s it was converted into Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH, as they feared to lose the familiar names Wetzlar through the towns merging of Giessen and Wetzlar from 1977 to the city of Lahn. The city of Lahn, however, was in 1979 re-dissolved, casting and Wetzlar were independent again."

 

original in German:

"Anfang der 1970er Jahre firmierte man in Ernst Leitz Wetzlar GmbH um, da man befürchtete, den bekannten Namen Wetzlar durch die Städtezusammenlegung von Gießen und Wetzlar von 1977 zur Stadt Lahn zu verlieren. Die Stadt Lahn wurde jedoch bereits 1979 wieder aufgelöst, Gießen und Wetzlar wurden wieder selbstständig.”

Leitz (Optik) – Wikipedia

 

Interesting, thanks... so, maybe even TODAY there is a registered brand "Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" (commercially unused, I think, after the exit of the Leitz family from the concern) , while the brand "Leica Wetzlar" (or "Leica Camera Wetzlar") probably does not exist at all... maybe they could register it now (dunno if, in Germany, laws do allow to put the name of a town into a commercial brand name... in Italy is, generally, allowed, but local authorities can raise issues about ... should I, in MY town, setup a ham factory and call it "Parma" I'll finish into a court in less than one month...:D )

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...