abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Do not confuse him with the facts; his mind is already made up. Many people posted here on the Marshall Plan and except for these two, all agreed on the facts. And neither of those two offered any facts to support their assertions. Forget about them; they will never agree to the facts.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Welcome to Idiot America.

Andy

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Getting worse daily.
--Bob

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

No doubt...

Andy

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I seem to recall there was some kind of post war transaction that had something to do with "spoils" going to the victor. It may have been somethings about Agfa, that was originally, of course, a German company was somehow absorbed into ANSCO or GAF, whereby some of the formulas for very fine grain films, theretofore patented by the Germans, were somehow released to American access. Kodak then began to produce Plus-X and Panatomic-X.
Unfortunately, my history about this is not complete and I have not been able to find any old research on my vague recollection. There was some governmental act for the operation of business of former enemy alien ownership(?)

Of course this has nothing to do with Leica. The Leicas were always very precisely made cameras with lenses known for high acutance and especially outstanding for the 35mm format. The connection is that the Germans were into low speed, fine grain high resolution films and accompanying developers early on.

On the collector market, here in North America, there are some wartime Leicas use by the German military. They feature ball-bearing shutter curtains- the shutter curtain was marked "K" for "Kalt" the German word for "Cold"- for cold whether operation. Collectors were paying between 5 and 10 thousand dollars for such a specimen. A collector friend asked me if theses were of any real value- I told home not to me- a Nazi camera for a Jewish photographer- Nah! Seems he was offered one in trade for one of his mint condition 11x14 wet-plate cameras- he declined.

rochephoto

For a short while after the war, Leica and other German camera manufacturers were allowed to make camera bodies but not lenses, because the 2 together were considered war material. Conversely, the Japanese were not allowed to make camera bodies during the same period. This is why you find post-war Wollensack, Canon, and Nikkor screw mount lenses prior to Japanese camera bodies. As the restrictions were eased under the Marshall Plan, this gave rise to the first crew mount Canon and Nikon cameras. As for the Kodak Ektra, it was miles ahead of any postwar or prewar camera 35MM with many advances that would not be matched for a number of years by other camera manufacturers. It's a tour de force of design and construction. The price post-war would have been$700 for the camera and prime lens. About $7000 in today's $ Its weak link was a complex shutter design that was meant to offer high shutter speed accuracy but lacked reliability.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I have not looked it up but I seriously doubt that the owner of Leica would transfer Jews to a facility in America as to my knowledge there was no facility in America at that time. I doubt the Nazi's would have allowed that in any case. While America did not have Leica's (the German military did use Leica's), America had a number of other cameras the military used. The lenses may not have been up to Leica quality but they sure were some good lenses nonetheless.

Dennis

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Please look it up so you have not doubts, serious or otherwise. The story is rather interesting and is another example of how Gentiles thwarted Nazi plans and aided Jews. Not all Germans were bad.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I am not going to look it up as I really have no strong interest one way or the other. I SAID I had my doubts. The story sounded fishy to me and still does. I doubt the German government sent German Jews to America for any reason, working on Leica lenses would be a very fishy reason to my mind. If it is true then so be it. I never said all Germans were bad and I know quite the opposite is true. Please don't start shit where there is none.

Dennis

abc1234 Loc: Elk Grove Village, Illinois

You have no trouble doubting the facts but a lot of trouble looking them up. Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up. What can I say?

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

That is not what I said at all. Read both of my posts. I am not doubting facts. There are no facts. There is a story that I nor anybody else here seems to believe. I simply have no interest in the Germans sending Jews to America to work on Leica lenses as there was no Leica lens factory in America at the time. Leica's have been made in Germany and for a time in Canada. Not in America. But even if the story is absolutely true, I simply have no interest. The story does not sound plausible. It was posted and I gave my opinion. Now, for some dumb ass reason, you seem to be insisting I have to have an interest. I don't. You look it up and give us the results.

I am done. You can carry on with an argument over nothing if you want but please do it with someone else. I have my own interests to attend to.

Dennis

Quinn 4

Without company records (American). Who are some of those people that came to America- family papers, pictures? Any of those people still living? How about any children? With out any of the items I have listed. It fable history. Move on.