Certo camera work
| Peppel & Lippert, factory of photographic cameras and special items CERTO, factory of photographic apparatus and supplies GmbH Certo-Kamera-Werk GmbH Certo-Camera-Werk from Gönna & Sons VEB Certo-Kamerawerk Dresden
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| legal form | |
| founding | 1902 |
| resolution | 1985 |
| Seat | Dresden , Germany |
| Branch | Optics manufacturer |
The Certo camera factory was an optics manufacturer in Dresden .
Company history
In 1902 Alfred Lippert and Karl Peppel founded a workshop in Dresden-Johannstadt, Hertelstraße 35, where mainly plate cameras with wooden housings were produced. Due to the increasing sales, the small workshop became a factory and renamed "Peppel & Lippert, factory of photographic cameras and special items". Alfred Lippert became the sole owner, which led to the renewed change of the company name "Factory of photographic apparatus Alfred Lippert". He introduced the word "Certo" as a trademark. In 1906 this was also included in the company name. The factory was now called " CERTO, factory of photographic apparatus and supplies GmbH ".
In the same year Alfred Lippert presented a completely new product, a ladies camera. The case looked like a small handbag and was covered with crocodile skin. It was a small plate camera.
For reasons of space, the company was relocated to Großzschachwitz as early as 1905 .
As exports continued to increase in the following years, general agencies were set up in Vienna and Milan. In 1917 the businessman Paul Zimmermann took over the business and was responsible for the development of the "Certonett". Zimmermann's son-in-law, Fritz von der Gönna, opened his own "Photo Wholesaler Fritz vd Gönna" in 1922. In the meantime, the production of cameras with a wooden housing has been replaced by a neatly processed metal housing. Series production also began in the Certo factory. The company was renamed “Certo-Kamera-Werk GmbH”.
From 1935 the factory produced the “Dollina” 35mm camera. In the same year, the production of the Certus enlarger began. Emil Paul Zimmermann died in 1937. His grandson, Eckart vd Gönna, took over the business. However, he was not yet of legal age, which is why Fritz vd Gönna took over the management. In 1938 the "Super Dollina" came on the market. In terms of technology and elegance, it was far better than the "Dollina".
From 1940 the plant had to interrupt civil production for the armaments industry. Although the factory had not suffered any damage from the bombing raids in 1945, the Certo camera factory was on the verge of collapse after being dismantled after the war. Then they started a makeshift production of cigarette wrapping machines with newly acquired or borrowed machines. From 1946 the production of the "Super Dollina" could be started again.
In 1953 the GmbH was converted into a general partnership with the new company name "Certo-Camera-Werk von der Gönna & Söhne". Five years later Fritz von der Gönna died, after which his sons Armin and Eckart took over the management. In 1959 the state took a 30% stake, which gave the company enough leeway to make decisions. From April 1972 the plant was public property, which gave rise to a new company name: "VEB Certo-Kamerawerk Dresden". Operations manager was now Armin vd Gönna. From January 1980 the company belonged to the VEB Pentacon combine, but was still legally independent. In the 1970s, the production of cameras with SL systems also began . (e.g .: Certo SL 100, Certo SL 101 color or Certo SL 110).
The Certo cameras were produced until December 1982, after which the factory became a supplier for the VEB Pentacon combine . In 1985 the VEB Pentacon combine was subordinated to the VEB Carl Zeiss Jena combine .
Known products
- "Certo No. 0"
- "Certonett 6 × 9 cm", 1920/1921
- Series of Certotrop plate cameras
- "Certo-phot 6x6", 1958–1965
- "Certo-matic 6x6", with coupled tracking exposure meter 1960–1965
literature
- Richard Hummel: SLR cameras from Dresden. History, technology, facts. Lindemanns, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3895061271