[rollei_list] Re: Automat 'Tropical'
- From: CarlosMFreaza <cmfreaza@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:30:54 -0300
John:
I was in a hurry this morning and I couldn't develop my idea.
BTW Ian Parker opinions on Rollei issues always deserve consideration
being him one of the most well known Rollei authors, however he lost
the interesting documents he mentions and anyway they don't explain
the real cause to call some pre-war Automat Rolleiflexes and
Rolleicords "Tropical".
The issue between Carl Zeiss Jena and Carl Zeiss Oberkochen for some
lenses trademark use after the WWII was a commercial/legal dispute
with political background, but they did not try to disguise the
country of origin with this dispute.Known prewar Rollei "Tropical"
cameras have other inscriptions to make clear they were products of
Germany.
A "tropical camera" means nothing today, but before the WWII a
"tropical camera" and during the XXth century first decades, it
represented the top of the line, the best camera quality for most
serious manufacturers, the camera was so good that it could resist the
tropical conditions, it's very possible Rollei used this word for a
pure commercial purpose only, to indicate the camera was so well built
that it could be considered a "tropical" camera, I really think this
was the only cause for the word "tropical".
Decades later the word "tropical" appeared again for the "Tropical
Case", but this time the cause was clear, this metal case really had
features to protect the camera in the tropical climate .
Carlos
2010/3/11 John Wild <jwild@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> Carlos,
>
> I have asked for photographs of the camera so hopefully the full
> inscriptions will be clear.
>
> Although Ian Parker's suggestion may have some credibility, I agree it does
> not offer a conclusive answer.
>
> In Issue 4 of CRU (p14/15) see www.rollei.org.uk - Newsletter, there is a
> letter about a Rolleiflex with Chinese inscription on the knob. Possibly
> importers were free to add their own knob cover discs to the cameras once
> they had arrived through customs...?
>
> This may remain a mystery with no definitive answer...
>
> I will keep you posted
>
> Off this topic but referring to your recent post about the last issue of
> Club Rollei User magazine and it having better printed quality than
> previously when you submitted photographs - I have just tried to print a
> scanned image of some poppies but the 'red' was clearly 'orange'. The
> engineer does not know what the problem is but he hopes he knows a man who
> can fix it... Quality could potentially be raised further!
>
> John
>
>
> On 11/03/2010 12:16, "CarlosMFreaza" <cmfreaza@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> John:
>> Todd Belcher wrote:
>> "From: todd <todd_belcher >
>> To: <rollei
>> Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2001 5:57 PM
>> Subject: [Rollei] Rolleicord II b
>>> I have a Rolleicord IIb with an interesting inscription on the focus knob
>>> insert. It says "DEUTSCHES FABRIKAT Tropical" There are also three chinese
>>> characters engraved on the insert. Anybody know anything about this?
>>>
>>> Todd"
>>
>> Todd's camera suggests a different interpretation since it had
>> engraved "DEUTSCHES FABRIKAT Tropical", the Tropical Rolleicord shown
>> at : http://www.flickr.com/photos/16822508@N05/3868440748/
>> has the word "Tropical" engraved on the focusing knob outer metal
>> ring, but it clearly lost the plastic/bakelite plate where the terms
>> "Made in Germany" or "Deutsches Fabrikat " were engraved as shown in
>> the Rollei Report 1 page 7-204 and BTW, these cameras still have
>> engraved between lenses or around the taking lens "Franke & Heidecke
>> Braunscweig", in the taking lens "Tessar Carl Zeis Jena" and then Mr
>> Parker explanation is not satisfactory. France also had a lot of
>> tropical colonies at the time.
>>
>> Carlos
>>
>> 2010/3/11 John Wild <jwild@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
>>> Further to the previous posts on this subject last month, Ian Parker wrote
>>> to me saying:
>>>
>>> "My records of Rollei cameras, giving actual date of manufacture and to whom
>>> sold, starts from 1954. I have the dates from Carl Zeiss - Lens No. 2181156
>>> was delivered to Rollei in November 1937.
>>>
>>> Camera No. 699287 was exported to France in March 1938. Lenses were held for
>>> up to a year to cool off. Now, (during this period) to sell German made
>>> goods to France, the word "Tropical" was used by Rollei instead of "Made in
>>> Germany".
>>>
>>> I had several such cameras with the word "Tropical". And one I did have, had
>>> a plaque "Wallis Heaton", so some of these cameras, it would appear, came to
>>> England.
>>>
>>> In 1938, prior to WW 2, I am sure a lot of people would not want to buy
>>> German goods. Prochnow did not have the hand written day books giving
>>> Sales of Rollei cameras. I had many of these, but sadly through the fire at
>>> the Hotel and flooding, most were damaged and destroyed."
>>>
>>> It does seem reasonable that to sell abroad at that time, German companies
>>> might have to disguise the country of origin - similar to the 'Opton Tessar"
>>> markings
>>>
>>> Does this offer the List a favourable conclusion?
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 18/02/2010 12:45, "CarlosMFreaza" <cmfreaza@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks Richard, you are authorized to use it :-), I also recalled
>>>> Henry Miller, I read both Tropics when I was very young.
>>>>
>>>> Carlos
>>>>
>>>> 2010/2/18 Richard Knoppow <dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "CarlosMFreaza" <cmfreaza@xxxxxxxxx>
>>>>> To: <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:25 AM
>>>>> Subject: [rollei_list] Re: Automat 'Tropical'
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Btw, I meant "Capricorn" tropic, I was thinking about the tropic and
>>>>> wrote "Tropicorn", a good combo ha, ha !
>>>>>
>>>>> Carlos
>>>>>
>>>>> Perhaps I will write a new Henry Miller novel called Tropic of
>>>>> Tropicorn.
>>>>> Might also be a good name for an old fashioned night club.
>>>>> Now that you have invented it I like it.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Richard Knoppow
>>>>> Los Angeles, CA, USA
>>>>> dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>
>>>>> ---
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