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.

Record Information

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

Category: Photographic Industry History / Optical Trade

Subcategory: Commercial Correspondence / Camera Equipment Inquiry

Country: Haiti (Origin) / Germany (Destination)

City: Jacmel → Berlin

Date of use: December 22, 1908

Company: C.P. Goerz (Optische Anstalt), founded 1886 by Carl Paul Goerz in Berlin; merged 1926 to form Zeiss Ikon

Products: Cameras (Tenax, Ango), Lenses (Dagor), binoculars, telescopes

Key Subject: Request for catalog and price of Tenax camera

Sender: B. Preetzmann-Aggerholm (import/export business in Jacmel, Haiti)

Recipient: Optische Anstalt "C.P. Goerz", Berlin-Friedenau, Germany

Object Type: Postal stationery card

Postal Features: Haitian postal stationery, manuscript message, Jacmel postmark, Berlin arrival markings

Language: German (message) / French (postal markings)

Material: Paper postal card

Dimensions: Standard postcard format

Collection Theme: C.P. Goerz history, Caribbean-German trade, pre-WWI optical industry, Tenax camera, Dagor lenses

Archival Significance: This 1908 postal card from Jacmel, Haiti to C.P. Goerz in Berlin documents early international trade in photographic equipment. The handwritten request in German for a Tenax camera catalog and price list demonstrates the global reach of German optical manufacturers before World War I. C.P. Goerz, founded in 1886, was a leading innovator with products like the Dagor lens (1892) and portable Tenax cameras. This item provides primary evidence of how photographic technology was marketed and distributed across continents, and reflects the commercial networks connecting the Caribbean to European industrial centers. The card's survival offers insight into pre-war business correspondence practices and the material culture of early 20th-century photography.

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.
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