LORD IIa camera c1954 courtesy of David Broglin
Toronto. After World War Two (WW2), Japan worked hard to restore its industries. One such company was called Okaya Kogaku Kikai K.K. This optical house sold cameras to North America. To be accepted, the company had to rename their camera line in ways that made sense to English speaking folk and conveyed to them a perception of quality.
The name LORD was chosen (an equivalent name was used in Japan written in that language) and a series of 35mm cameras were marketed to an American distributor and on to North American retailers. Lord was one of a long line of Japanese optical products sold to American distributors in the push to shove aside the then powerful German industry which like them was based in a country defeated in WW2 by the overwhelming power of the Americans collaborating with Britain and the Commonwealth.
Many of these inexpensive cameras were sold at our fairs and meetings, especially in the last century.
