Ilex Acme blues

[civich]

A while ago I aquired a Goerz lens which came installed in an Ilex Acme No. 4 shutter. It appears to be an original factory installation and the shutter has a blue border around the shutter speeds and the 'ILEX' against a black background. This is different from several other Ilex shutters I have and I've seen it in other lenses so I'm curious - does this design/logo indicate anything about the age or manufacturing location of the lens?http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=60923&stc=1&d=1315328006

[E. von Hoegh]

It doesn't indicate anything at all about the lens, having been made by a different company. I've seen the blue on later Ilex shutters, AFIK it was just a styling change.

Great lens, by the way. Ilex shutters have always served me well.

[Mark Sampson]

That's just a later production Ilex- the label on the box suggests late 60's or early 70s, when the Goerz American Optical Co. had been absorbed by Kollmorgen, before being sold to Schneider. I believe that there's more (and more accurate) Goerz history on the front page of this site.

[David Lindquist]

A while ago I aquired a Goerz lens which came installed in an Ilex Acme No. 4 shutter. It appears to be an original factory installation and the shutter has a blue border around the shutter speeds and the 'ILEX' against a black background. This is different from several other Ilex shutters I have and I've seen it in other lenses so I'm curious - does this design/logo indicate anything about the age or manufacturing location of the lens?http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=60923&stc=1&d=1315328006

I bought a new 6 inch Gold Dot Dagor about early fall 1969. Just checked its box, it's marked "Goerz Optical Co. Inc.", but unlike your box, does not say "A Subsidiary of Kollmorgen". I have an August 1970 price list marked "Goerz Optical Company, Inc. A Subsidiary of Kollmorgen" These two pieces of information suggest to me Kollmorgen acquired Goerz Optical Co. in 1970, maybe late 1969.

I have a pamphlet, unfortunately undated, from Schneider Corporation of America that says that SCA was established January 1, 1972.This further says that Schneider Corporation of America "has taken title to the well-known standard lenses formerly manufactured by the Goerz Optical Company..." Also I have a letter from Schneider Corp. of America dated September 18, 1973 saying that "the 8 1/4" Goerz Gold Dot Dagor lenses have been unavailable for the past six months..." and that they had acquired from Goerz a depleted stock during the take over. From this I gather Schneider acquired Goerz Optical Co. from Kollmorgen sometime later in 1972, possibly the deal was not completed until early 1973???

So I'd say your lens was probably made somewhere between 1970 (late 1969?) (when Kollmorgen acquired G.O.C.) and 1972/73 when SCA acquired GOC from Kollmorgen.

My 1969 6" GD is s/n 823xxx, incidentally.
David

[rdenney]

That's just a later production Ilex

Yup. I have a 1970ish Ilex-Caltar in a No. 4 shutter that looks exactly like this one. The styling is more updated than the No. 4 shutter in which my Ilex Paragon is mounted, and that lens is probably mid-to-late 50's.

Rick "thinking that later Ilex shutter runs very well" Denney

[civich]

Thanks for the info and annecdotes!
I did some further research, ie: web surfing, and did indeed find that Kollmorgen bought Goerz in 1971 and then sold it to Schneider in 1972 - which pretty neatly nails down the date of that particular lens's manufacture.
Interestingly, Kollmorgen is still around and apparently makes periscopes and other optics for the US military.
-Chris "who has long admired rdenny's use of the internimic" Ivich

[David Lindquist]

Thanks for the info and annecdotes!
I did some further research, ie: web surfing, and did indeed find that Kollmorgen bought Goerz in 1971 and then sold it to Schneider in 1972 - which pretty neatly nails down the date of that particular lens's manufacture.
Interestingly, Kollmorgen is still around and apparently makes periscopes and other optics for the US military.
-Chris "who has long admired rdenny's use of the internimic" Ivich

Given my "Goerz Optical Company A Subsidiary of Kollmorgen" price list dated August 1, 1970 (cited in my post above), I'd say that Kollmorgen did not buy Goerz Optical Company in 1971, but rather did so no later than 1970.

David " who also has long admired rdenny's use of the internimic and thanks Chris for providing the proper name for this syntactical device" Lindquist

[rdenney]

David " who also has long admired rdenny's use of the internimic and thanks Chris for providing the proper name for this syntactical device" Lindquist

Back in the days of the alt.folklore.urban newsgroup, we had a big discussion about what that particular affectation should be called. I came down on the side of Maddy
Page (RIP), who coined "internym" and was a master in its use. "Internymic" would be the adjective form.

Rick "a mere imitator" Denney

[civich]

Back in the days of the alt.folklore.urban newsgroup, we had a big discussion about what that particular affectation should be called. I came down on the side of Maddy
Page (RIP), who coined "internym" and was a master in its use. "Internymic" would be the adjective form.

Rick "a mere imitator" Denney


Got it!
Chris "who stands corrected and will henceforth leave the internymic sign-off in the hands of the current Master" Ivich