Leica in New York, prewar & wartime

[davidnewtonguitars]

I am interested in the history of Leica transferring employees & product to New York in the 1930's.
To what extent did Leica assemble or manufacture cameras and optics in the USA before & during the war?

 

[Dralowid]

I too would be interested to hear more, or indeed anything.

As I understand it the NY business was well stablished before 1939 (like London etc).

 

[goamules]

"In 1941, the U.S. government seized control of the New York branch of the German E. Leitz company, but by 1943 they had found that the Leitz equipment at that facility was in such poor condition that it was unusable and unrepairable..."

http://www.novacon.com.br/odditycameras/kardon.htm

"US government seized control of E. Leitz Company in New York and directed them to manufacture Leica IIIa cameras for them, assuming that a facility capable of repairing that camera also could manufacture them. By '43 it was apparent Leitz was not up to the task.
http://www.shutterbug.com/content/kardon-camera-american-tale.

A man named Kardon tried to make the Leicas for a while, but determined it was not a mass producible camera without trained craftsmen. Instead, he designed and made the Kardon camera.

 

[VictorM.]

Not exactly transferring production facilities: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/10/secondworldwar.germany

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

I've read a couple accounts of the transfer of Jewish Leica employees from Germany to New York, a great heroic story, but I'm interested to know if any cameras were in fact assembled there.
You may have seen sets boxed as "New York Leica" and I wonder if these were assembled there, or just sold out of the New York store with a custom box.
My own Leica Standard comes up in a list of serial numbers as a New York Leica, unusual because of the strap lugs. I don't know what history book that SN list appears in.