Rolleicord for Chinese market?

[archeophoto]

Hi all,
I bought a Rolleicord from 1937 on the 'Bay for $50. I just got it and it's in really nice shape. I think after cleaning and a shutter CLA that will be a very nice picture taker. One thing I found really unusual is on the focus knob there are Chinese markings (looks Chinese to me anyway) and around them there are the words "Deutsches Fabrikat", which basically means "German made" (I can read German). I'm pretty sure that knob is original.
Is that a model made specifically for Export to China? Anybody has any information about this?

Thanks!
Herb

 

[joho35mm]

It's very possible that this Rolleicord was one of the many German cameras shipped to China along with armaments, industrial machines, and other materials as part of the official Sino-German cooperation of the mid-to-late 1930s. As leader of the Republic of China and Nationalist party at the time, Chiang Kai-shek was interested in modernizing Chinese industry and military as much as possible, and hired retired German military advisors (e.g. General Alexander von Falkenhausen), among other well-documented cooperative efforts. I'd need to see the Chinese markings on this camera, but my guess is that it was one of the cameras sold to China during this time and marked for government use. Such Chinese markings usually read, "National Property of the Republic of China." The 1937 production date for the Rolleicord also makes sense - the German advisory efforts, at least in the military sense, didn't end until mid-1938, when Nazi Germany allied itself with Japan (which had invaded China in 1937 and demanded that German support for the Chinese Nationalists cease as part of the new alliance). In an interesting aside, Robert Capa was also in China at the time and extensively photographed the withdrawal of German military advisors, along with wartime civilian and military scenes, with none other than his trusty Contax II and a Rolleiflex Automat.

Aside from Rolleis, I've also heard of and seen pictures of Zeiss Ikon cameras - Contaxes, Nettars, Super Ikontas - that were also stamped with Chinese markings or the German phrase, "Fuer China" ("For China").

In any case, what you have there - if the markings are (likely) genuine - is a camera with an identity connected to three countries during a fascinating and turbulent part of European and East Asian history.

 

[maddoc]

joho35mm, thanks for this interesting information about camera-history ! It is the first time that I heard about german cameras being officially delivered to China and having markings in Kanji.

Do you happen to know where to find some of the photos R.Capa took during this time in China ?

 

[archeophoto]

This is excellent information, thanks so much! After work I will try to take a photo of the markings and post them here.

Greetings
Herb

It's very possible that this Rolleicord was one of the many German cameras shipped to China along with armaments, industrial machines, and other materials as part of the official Sino-German cooperation of the mid-to-late 1930s. As leader of the Republic of China and Nationalist party at the time, Chiang Kai-shek was interested in modernizing Chinese industry and military as much as possible, and hired retired German military advisors (e.g. General Alexander von Falkenhausen), among other well-documented cooperative efforts. I'd need to see the Chinese markings on this camera, but my guess is that it was one of the cameras sold to China during this time and marked for government use. Such Chinese markings usually read, "National Property of the Republic of China." The 1937 production date for the Rolleicord also makes sense - the German advisory efforts, at least in the military sense, didn't end until mid-1938, when Nazi Germany allied itself with Japan (which had invaded China in 1937 and demanded that German support for the Chinese Nationalists cease as part of the new alliance). In an interesting aside, Robert Capa was also in China at the time and extensively photographed the withdrawal of German military advisors, along with wartime civilian and military scenes, with none other than his trusty Contax II and a Rolleiflex Automat.

Aside from Rolleis, I've also heard of and seen pictures of Zeiss Ikon cameras - Contaxes, Nettars, Super Ikontas - that were also stamped with Chinese markings or the German phrase, "Fuer China" ("For China").

In any case, what you have there - if the markings are (likely) genuine - is a camera with an identity connected to three countries during a fascinating and turbulent part of European and East Asian history.

 

[furcafe]

I'm guessing that they were marked in Chinese, not kanji (unless they were being delivered to Manchukuo).

As to the photos, many of them can be seen on the Magnum site:

http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=ViewBox_VPage&VBID=2K1HZO9ZAEXK3&CT=Search&DT=Image

. . . It is the first time that I heard about german cameras being officially delivered to China and having markings in Kanji.

Do you happen to know where to find some of the photos R.Capa took during this time in China ?

 

[maddoc]

Thanks for the link and info !

 

[archeophoto]

Here some photos of the camera and the Chinese markings. Thanks joho35mm and furcafe for the great info so far.

Cheers!
Herb

 

[joho35mm]

The Chinese characters shown in the pictures read simply, "Made in Germany." While this was definitely one of the cameras shipped over to China in that period, it may not have been used for government purposes. Such government property would have been marked with the longer phrase: "中華民國國用." In fact, by the looks of it, the engraving on your particular Rolleicord might have been done by a high-end Chinese dealer interested in making the camera more appealing to Chinese buyers who couldn't read the German markings.

 

[JPD]

The chinese characters are original and engraved at F&H. The width of the engraving lines are the same and probably made with the same machine. I've seen pictures of other examples of the Rolleicords for China. Couldn't find one in Prochnow's books, but there's a picture in Evans guide for Rollei collectors (which I no longer have).

Good looking Rolleicord II. The focus knob on mine is covered with leatherette. The marking "Made in Germany" wasn't needed for the european market.

 

[archeophoto]

Yes I think those characters where engraved in the factory as well. They match the "Deutsches Fabrikat" engravings 100%. It makes sense if the camera was intended for the Chinese market.

 

[JPD]

Is the exposure table on the back in chinese or german? You didn't mention it so I suppose it's in german?

 

[archeophoto]

It's in English actually.

Is the exposure table on the back in chinese or german? You didn't mention it so I suppose it's in german?

 

[Dan Daniel]

I don't know that model of Rolleicord. Is the back removeable? And even if not, maybe it was swapped out for a new one after an accident of some sort?

I guess it's part of the 'TLR' experience, needing to find a quiet, isolated place for changing film on the street, trying to protect the weakest part of TLRs.

 

[Rayt]

Is the exposure table on the back in chinese or german? You didn't mention it so I suppose it's in german?

A camera like that in 1930's China should cost the average middle class earner a year's salary. These cameras were bought up by the elite and in small quantities. There wouldn't be a need to have anything on the camera in Chinese except to denote the country of origin.