Another Goerz musing: post-Golden Dagors?

**John Schneider** · 4-Nov-2009, 23:05

An idle curiosity that has been bugging me as of late: I have some Goerz catalogs and there is of course the wonderful resource at Cemeraeccentric, but none go past the era of the Golden (aka Gold Rim) Dagor. Does anyone have a complete list of the Dagors that were produced after that point, including the Goerz-Am. Optical Gold Dot and later Schneider/Kern SC/MC incarnations? Thank you.

**aduncanson** · 5-Nov-2009, 08:38

Not a complete list, but a single data point. I own a "Goerz Optical Company Inc." (not "Goerz American...") 6" f/6.8 Gold Dot Dagor S/N 840707. Some resources say that Schneider introduced the "Gold Dot" mark, but this lens seems to disprove that.

**David Lindquist** · 5-Nov-2009, 11:29

I have a 1967 Goerz Optical Company price list that uses the term "Goerz Golden Dagor" and a 1970 Goerz Optical Company price list that uses the term "Gold Dot Dagor" Both list the Dagor in the following focal lengths: 1 1/2", 2 3/8", 6", 8 1/4", 9 1/2", 10 3/4" and 12". All were available in barrel mounts, and except for the two shortest focal lengths, they were also available in shutters.

This would seem to be evidence that the name change from "Golden" to "Gold Dot" occurred between 1967 and 1970 (as an additional data point, I bought a 6" Gold Dot Dagor new in 1969). However it's not that simple. Kerry Thalmann has posted elsewhere good evidence that the company name changed from "C.P. Goerz American Optical Company" to "Goerz Optical Company" some time in 1964. He has a price list dated May 1964 using the former name and one dated December 1964 giving the latter name. I have seen on ebay from time-to-time Dagors with a gold dot engraved "C.P. Goerz American Optical Company"

Schneider Corporation of America acquired Goerz Optical Company in 1973. I don't know for sure if production of Dagors (and Artars) continued in the U.S. for awhile before being done in Switzerland. In any case I have a Schneider Corporation of America price list dated 1 May 1975. It lists the Gold Dot Dagor in the following focal lengths: 6", 8 1/4", 9 1/2", 10 3/4" and 12". All were listed as available in both barrel and shutter mounts.
David

**David Lindquist** · 5-Nov-2009, 11:48

And for those who are as fascinated by this subject as I am, I dug out two additional Schneider Corporation of American price lists. One dated June 1, 1976 lists barrel mounted Gold Dot Dagors in the following focal lengths: 6", 8 1/4", 9 1/2", 10 3/4" and 12". However a price is given only for the 8 1/4" ($560.00). The others are asterixed as "Available Soon". This price list also shows the same focal lengths in shutters; here prices are listed for both the 6" ($610.00) and the 8 1/4" ($700.00), the rest are described as "Available Soon".

And the price list dated February 1, 1978 shows only shutter mounted Gold Dot Dagors. The 9 1/2" and 10 3/4" are no longer listed but the 14" f/8 Gold Dot is. Prices were: 6"- $610.00, 8 1/4"- $700.00, 12"- $1200.00 and 14"- $800.00.
David

**Tony Lakin** · 5-Nov-2009, 12:55

I have a W/A Dagor 6 1/2 inch f8 gold dot marked exactly as follows:-

GOERZ OPTICAL CO. INC. W.A. DAGOR 6 1/2 IN. F:8 No 832075

Can anyone tell me in which year this was manufactured.

Thanks