Date of use : 1908 Haiti

1908 Haiti to Germany: C.P. Goerz Tenax Camera Inquiry Postcard

A postal stationery card sent on December 22, 1908, from Jacmel, Haiti, to the Optische Anstalt "C.P. Goerz" company in Germany. C.P. Goerz was established in 1886 by Carl Paul Goerz in Berlin, Germany. Initially, the company produced optical tools and equipment for teaching mathematics. Later, it shifted its focus to photography equipment, producing high-quality cameras, lenses, binoculars, and telescopes. Among its notable products were portable cameras such as "Tenax" and "Ango," which were favored by both professional and amateur photographers of the era.

In 1892, the company introduced the Dagor brand of high-quality lenses, which gained significant attention. These lenses became highly popular among photographers and further enhanced the company's reputation. Additionally, the binoculars and telescopes manufactured by C.P. Goerz were widely used, particularly in military and scientific applications.

In 1926, C.P. Goerz merged with other major optical companies, including Carl Zeiss, Contessa-Nettel, and Ernemann, to form a new company called Zeiss Ikon. This merger created one of the largest photographic equipment manufacturers of the time. Today, C.P. Goerz no longer operates as an independent company, but its legacy lives on in the products developed by companies like Zeiss Ikon and Carl Zeiss.

On the back of the card, the following note is written in German: "Senden Sie mir bitte Ihre Kataloge, besonders Preis der Kamera 'Tenax.'" This translates to English as: "Please send me your catalogs, especially the price of the 'Tenax' camera." The sender of the card is B. Preetzmann-Aggerholm. While detailed information about this company is scarce, it appears to have been a significant import and export business operating in Haiti during that time.

This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
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