turrets, turrets, everywhere and no place to go …
Toronto. Post WW2, a decision was made to divide Germany into four zones – American, British, French, and Russian. To politicians, this was a marvellous way to solve occupation of the defeated country by many forces. But to some camera makers, the zones were not always practical.
In a February, 1947 issue of LIFE, a photograph shows the dilemma of one German maker of movie cameras.
The cut-line under the photo in LIFE states, “STYMIED MANUFACTURER of an advanced type of camera is a victim of the zone system.
“August Arnold [photo above left] has adapted the reflex principle to taking movies, only to find he cannot get lenses from the Zeiss factory in the Russian zone or the Schneider plant in the French zone. Meanwhile he examines turrets which are piling up.”
This photo is most likely related to the famous Arriflex cameras later imported to America and widely used in the movie industry. It serves as another example of photography aiding history – and the unintended effects of war.
Thanks goes to our good friend, George Dunbar, for sharing this discovery of a photograph in LIFE showing that at least one camera maker was ‘zoned out’ for a time after WW2.
