KARDON
1942 - 1945
1947
1948
1952
1955
When the
USA declared war on Germany the American arm of Leica came under the control
of the Alien Property Custodian. Due to a shortage of suitable cameras for
military use, Leitz were asked to produce around 6000 Leica llla's for the
US Signal Corps.This did not happen (various reasons have been suggested).
Premier Instrument Corp. agreed to produce the cameras at a unit price based
on a 6000 unit order, although this was eventually reduced to an order for
750. No cameras had been supplied by the end of the war, and the military
authorities cancelled the order. The money received by Kardon represented
only a small proportion of the development costs.
In an
effort to recoup his investment, Peter Kardon, the president of Premier Instrument
Corp. marketed a civilian version of his camera. The US Army issued a requirement
for a camera capable of operating in extremes of temperature. The original
Kardon was modified and around 1600 were subsequently sold for military use
(a further 200 were sold to the general public).
Death of
Peter Kardon. Running of the company falls upon his son Leonard and son-in-law
Irving M. Gross. Manufacture of the civilian Kardon is discontinued.
The US
military is once again able to obtain Leica cameras from Germany.
Following
rejection of a request for further military orders, production tools and spare
parts are sold off as scrap.
Detailed
information is available in the
book The
Kardon Camera Story by Jerome Katz, 1985.
