Date of use : 1920 USA

Harold M. Bennett Stationery – Zeiss & Ica Dealer USA

This document represents a commercial correspondence related to the distribution network of Carl Zeiss products in the United States during the early twentieth century. Carl Zeiss was one of the most influential manufacturers in the international trade of photographic and optical equipment. The document consists of a letter and its accompanying postal envelope sent by Harold M. Bennett, who operated in New York. The return address printed on the envelope reads "Harold M. Bennett, 110 East 23rd Street, New York." This address was located in Manhattan, an area that hosted a concentration of commercial enterprises during the early twentieth century, including many importers and representatives involved in the trade of photographic equipment.

The letterhead indicates that Harold M. Bennett operated under the title of "United States Agent." The design of the letterhead prominently features the Carl Zeiss name together with a list of optical instruments produced by the company. These include prism binoculars, photographic lenses, microscopes, telescopes, surveying instruments, refractometers, and spectroscopes. The letterhead also refers to "Ica Cameras" and "Photographic Apparatus," suggesting that the business activities represented in the document were not limited to a single product category but instead involved a broad range of optical and photographic technologies. Carl Zeiss had been founded in the mid-nineteenth century in Jena, Germany, and quickly achieved international recognition in the field of scientific optics. By the beginning of the twentieth century the company had become one of the leading producers of photographic lenses and precision optical instruments.

The document is dated September 23, 1920. The envelope bears a postal cancellation reading "New York – Madison Square Station," together with the same date. This mark indicates that the item was processed through a branch of the New York postal system. The envelope also carries a United States postage stamp as well as a postal slogan cancellation promoting military service. Such slogan cancellations were commonly used by postal administrations during the first half of the twentieth century to disseminate various public messages.

An examination of the letter reveals that the correspondence was addressed to Wilfred R. Coates, who resided in Chicago. The address is written as "5724 Race Avenue, Austin Station, Chicago, Illinois." During this period Chicago was one of the most important industrial and commercial centers in the United States and represented a significant market for photographic equipment distribution. The letter states that it was written in response to an earlier inquiry from Coates. It explains that the catalogs for Carl Zeiss lenses and Ica cameras were not yet ready for distribution, but that they would be sent as soon as they became available. In the meantime, temporary price lists were enclosed with the letter.

The correspondence also refers to Almer Coe & Company, located on North Wabash Avenue in Chicago. According to the letter, this firm handled the distribution of Carl Zeiss products within the city. This reference provides an example of the multi-layered commercial networks that existed within the optical and photographic equipment trade during the early twentieth century, in which manufacturers, national representatives, and regional distributors were connected through a structured system of commercial relationships.

The commercial context of the document reflects a period in which photographic technology was rapidly expanding. During the early twentieth century high-quality optical equipment produced in Europe was widely imported into the United States and distributed through local agents and dealers. German manufacturers in particular played a central role in the global optical industry, producing scientific instruments and photographic lenses that were widely used by both professionals and institutions. Correspondence such as this illustrates the mechanisms through which communication between manufacturers, national representatives, and local distributors was maintained.

From a philatelic perspective, the envelope represents a typical example of early twentieth-century commercial mail within the United States. The cancellation from Madison Square Station identifies the specific postal facility through which the letter passed, while the slogan cancellation provides an additional historical detail reflecting contemporary postal messaging practices.

From a collecting standpoint, the document brings together several different historical themes. These include the history of the photographic and optical industries, the international distribution network of Carl Zeiss products, early commercial correspondence, and the postal history of the United States. The references to Ica cameras and Carl Zeiss lenses further enhance the significance of the document, as they connect it directly to the commercial expansion of photographic technology during this period.

In conclusion, this document illustrates a commercial exchange that took place in 1920 between an optical equipment representative in New York and a customer in Chicago. The correspondence concerns the promotion and distribution of products associated with the Carl Zeiss and Ica brands. As such, it represents a small yet meaningful historical record demonstrating how photographic and optical technologies circulated through international trade networks during the early twentieth century.

The text of the letter contained in the document is as follows:

Sept. 23, 1920

Mr. Wilfred R. Coates
5724 Race Avenue
Austin Station
Chicago, Ill.

Dear Sir:

Referring to your letter of September 18th, we regret that you failed to receive an answer to your request for our catalogs. If it was due to any oversight on our part, we apologize for our delinquency.

The catalogs of Ica Contessa cameras, Carl Zeiss lenses and binoculars are not yet ready for distribution, but you will be sent these as soon as they are.

Enclosed you will find temporary price lists.

If you wish to place an order for any of our goods, we refer you to Almer Coe & Company, 105 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, who handle our line in your city.

We appreciate your interest and shall be pleased to be of further service to you.

Yours very truly,
Harold M. Bennett

By
C. E. Graham

This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
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