Date of use : circa 1965, Japan

Ohba Camera Co. – Japanese Photographic Dealer

This envelope represents a commercial airmail correspondence sent from a Japanese camera company to the United States. The printed letterhead in the upper left corner reads "OHBA CAMERA CO., LTD (1948-2008) ., No. 20, 1-Chome, Shiba-shi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan." Envelopes bearing such printed company headings were commonly used in international business communication and served as standardized corporate stationery. The address identifies the firm as being located in Minato-ku, one of Tokyo's principal commercial and administrative districts. During the postwar decades this part of the city became an important center for technology firms, trading companies, and export-oriented businesses, reflecting the rapid industrial and economic expansion of Japan.

The sending company, Ohba Camera Co., Ltd., appears to have been a Japanese enterprise associated with the production or distribution of photographic equipment. In the years following the Second World War, Japan's optical and photographic industries experienced significant growth. Numerous small and medium-sized firms entered the field, producing cameras, lenses, and related accessories for both domestic use and international export. The United States quickly emerged as one of the most important overseas markets for Japanese photographic equipment. Within this broader context, companies such as Ohba Camera Co. were likely involved in manufacturing, trading, or exporting photographic instruments and optical components. However, because detailed historical documentation about this specific company is limited, this interpretation should be considered a plausible but cautious assessment.

The envelope is addressed to "Harry Mathewson, 3225 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, California, U.S.A." Pasadena is a city in the state of California and forms part of the greater Los Angeles metropolitan region. The addressee appears to be an individual rather than a corporate entity. It is therefore possible that the recipient was a distributor, a technical collaborator, or a private collector interested in photographic equipment. Handwritten notes visible on the envelope include terms such as "lens," "measure," and "aperture." These technical references suggest that the correspondence may have concerned optical specifications, measurement details, or the characteristics of photographic lenses.

From the perspective of postal history, the envelope follows the typical format of international airmail correspondence of the mid-twentieth century. The red and blue striped border was widely used around the world to distinguish items intended for transport by air. In the upper right corner is an 80-yen postage stamp issued by the Japanese postal administration. The design features a Buddhist statue together with the silhouette of an aircraft, a combination that reflects the coexistence of traditional cultural imagery and modern technological themes in Japanese stamp design of the period.

The presence of the printed "Via Air Mail" marking further indicates that the item was sent through international air transport networks. In the decades after the Second World War, the rapid expansion of civil aviation significantly reduced the time required for correspondence between Japan and North America. This development greatly facilitated international commercial communication, particularly for firms engaged in technological manufacturing and the export of optical equipment.

From a collecting perspective, the envelope can be associated with several areas of historical interest. It may be categorized as commercial correspondence related to the photographic and optical industries. It also represents an example of Japanese international airmail usage during the postwar period. In addition, the document may be considered part of the broader category of industrial ephemera, illustrating the everyday communication that supported the global trade in photographic technology.

Viewed within a wider historical framework, this envelope represents more than a simple postal artifact. It offers a small but meaningful indication of how Japan's photographic industry became integrated into international trade networks during the second half of the twentieth century. Correspondence sent from a Tokyo-based camera company to a recipient in California illustrates the transnational circulation of photographic equipment, technical information, and commercial relationships. Documents of this kind provide valuable insight into the global communication systems that supported the development and distribution of modern photographic technology.

Record Information

Title: Ohba Camera Co. – Japanese Photographic Dealer

Category: Photographic Industry History / International Trade

Subcategory: Commercial Correspondence / Postwar Export

Country: Japan (Sender) / USA (Recipient)

City: Tokyo (Sender) / Pasadena, California (Recipient)

Date of use: circa 1965

Company (Sender): Ohba Camera Co., Ltd. (1948-2008), No. 20, 1-Chome, Shiba-shi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. A Japanese firm involved in the production or distribution of photographic equipment and optical components during Japan's postwar industrial expansion.

Recipient: Harry Mathewson, 3225 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, California, USA. Likely a distributor, technical collaborator, or private collector interested in photographic optics.

Object Type: International airmail envelope

Postal Features: Red and blue striped airmail border; "Via Air Mail" marking; 80-yen Japanese stamp (Buddhist statue with aircraft silhouette).

Notable Detail: Handwritten technical notes: "lens," "measure," "aperture," suggesting correspondence about optical specifications.

Language: English (address and notes) / Japanese (stamp inscription)

Material: Paper envelope

Dimensions: Standard envelope format

Collection Theme: Ohba Camera, Tokyo commerce, Japanese photographic industry, postwar export, Minato-ku, Pasadena, airmail to USA, optical equipment trade, 1960s Japan-U.S. relations, technical correspondence.

Archival Significance: This 1960s airmail envelope documents a Japanese camera company's correspondence with a U.S. recipient, illustrating Japan's integration into postwar international photographic trade networks.

Research Note:

This article is based on historical research and independent analysis of the material in the author's collection. The text has been prepared as an original interpretative study and does not reproduce copyrighted material.

This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.