Date of use : 1908 Costa Rica

1908 Postal Cover from Costa Rica to C.P. Goerz Berlin

A Postal Stationery Envelope Sent from San Jose, Costa Rica to C.P. Goerz in 1908. C.P. Goerz was founded in 1886 by Carl Paul Goerz in Berlin, Germany. Initially, the company produced optical instruments and equipment used for teaching mathematics. Later, it shifted its focus to photographic equipment, manufacturing high-quality cameras, lenses, binoculars, and telescopes. Notably, the company produced portable cameras such as the "Tenax" and "Ango," which were favored by both professional and amateur photographers of the time. In 1892, Goerz introduced the Dagor series of high-quality lenses, which gained immense popularity among photographers and significantly enhanced the company's reputation.

Additionally, the company's binoculars and telescopes found widespread use, particularly in military and scientific applications. In 1926, C.P. Goerz merged with other major optical manufacturers, including Carl Zeiss, Contessa-Nettel, and Ernemann, to form Zeiss Ikon. This merger created one of the largest photographic equipment manufacturers of the time. Today, C.P. Goerz no longer exists as an independent company. However, its legacy continues through the products developed by Zeiss Ikon and Carl Zeiss.

Note: Postal stationery envelopes are official postal envelopes with a pre-printed postage stamp. These envelopes are typically issued by government postal services and can be used by the sender without the need for additional postage, provided that the pre-printed stamp covers the mailing cost.

Record Information

Title: 1908 Postal Cover from Costa Rica to C.P. Goerz Berlin

Category: Optical Industry History / Postal History

Subcategory: International Trade / Postal Stationery

Country: Costa Rica (Origin) / Germany (Destination)

City: San José → Berlin

Date of use: 1908 (based on postal markings)

Sender: Unknown correspondent in San José, Costa Rica

Recipient: C.P. Goerz, Berlin-Friedenau, Germany (founded 1886 by Carl Paul Goerz)

Company: C.P. Goerz (1886-1926, merged into Zeiss Ikon 1926)

Key Products: Tenax and Ango portable cameras, Dagor lens series (introduced 1892), binoculars, telescopes, optical instruments

Object Type: Postal stationery envelope / commercial correspondence

Postal Features: Costa Rican official postal envelope with pre-printed postage stamp

Language: Spanish / German

Material: Paper envelope with pre-printed stamp

Dimensions: Standard envelope format

Collection Theme: German optical industry, Central American trade, postal stationery, pre-WWI commerce, Zeiss Ikon predecessors

Archival Significance: This 1908 postal stationery envelope from San José, Costa Rica, documents international trade with C.P. Goerz, a leading German optical manufacturer founded in 1886 by Carl Paul Goerz. Goerz's innovations—including the Tenax and Ango portable cameras and the acclaimed Dagor lens series (1892)—established the company as a major force in photography and optics. The envelope, sent just two decades after the company's founding, illustrates the global reach of Goerz's products, reaching customers in Central America. The use of Costa Rican postal stationery (pre-printed stamp) demonstrates the efficiency of international postal systems under the Universal Postal Union. Goerz's 1926 merger with Carl Zeiss, Contessa-Nettel, and Ernemann to form Zeiss Ikon marked the end of its independent existence, but its legacy continued. This item is a primary source for understanding the international distribution networks of German optical manufacturers, the demand for photographic equipment in Latin America, and the commercial infrastructure supporting pre-World War I globalization.

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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