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ICA serial number database - -
Internationale
Camera Aktiengesellschaft
"International Camera A.G." was formed on the 7th of October 1909 by four camera makers: Hüttig, Wünsche, Krügener and Carl Zeiss Palmos. Three years later, Zulauf was added.
In 1926, ICA merged with Contessa-Nettel, Ernemann and Goerz to form Zeiss Ikon. Some cameras kept the ICA logo after 1926.
Production was marked with a letter preceding the serial number, from the "A" until the "K". Then, Zeiss Ikon used the system from the letter "L" until 1972. The last camera of my database, a Nixe 555 with serial number K99xxx, keeps the name "Ica" on the body but it was already marketed with the name "Zeiss Ikon" on the front.
Original ICA factory data about production figures and serial numbers is not available. The information showed below is based on serial numbers and years of production of Carl Zeiss Jena lenses and Deckel Compur / Compound shutters. The book "Carl Zeiss Kamera-Register 1902-2012" has been also used to know years of production of the Ica camera models.
Before to be mounted on a camera, lenses and shutters could have been stored in the factory for some time (even years). Not necessarily all of them were mounted in strictly chronological order, so, this table is merely approximate.
According to a sample over 200 cameras, this is the estimation:
| letter | estimate year of production |
| some early production without serial number |
1909-1910 |
| A | 1910-1912 |
| B | 1912-1913 |
| C | 1913-1914 |
| D | 1914-1916 |
| E | 1916-1920 |
| F | 1920-1921 |
| G | 1921-1922 |
| H | 1921-1922 |
| J | 1922-1924 |
| K | 1924-1926 |
In 1910, Ica claimed to produce 90,000 cameras by year:
Die Gesamtanlage der „ICA"- Aktiengesellschaft umfaßt einen Flachenraum von 12000 qm und besteht aus vier großen Fabrikgebauden, sowie fünf Beamten- und Arbeiterwohnhaüsern und bildet das großte Camerawerk weit über die Grenzen Deutschlands hinaus. Mit einem Stabe von ca. 1000 Arbeitern und Angestellten umgeben, vermag die Firma jährlich ca. 90000 Apparate in die Welt zu senden, wobei zu beachten ist, daß heutzutage vorzugsweise nicht mehr einfache, billige Apparate, sondern meist gut ausgestattete Cameras verlangt und geliefert werden. Die Firma, als größte der Branche, gilt auch hinsichtlich der werkfähig fortschreitenden Entwickelung der Camera-Technik als die erste und bedeutendste.
But serial numbers starting with the letter "A" have been found in cameras from 1911/1912. Maybe the affirmation was not fully true, anyway, some early cameras have been found without serial number, so, it is reasonable to think that the numeration system started later, or that it was not applied to all models from the beginning.
According to the Ica catalogues, there was models only produced in 1909-1910. Some of them are:
Corrida Nr. 151, Favorit Nr. 260, Ikarus Nr. 251, Lloyd Nr. 530, Minimum Ideal Nr. 201, Ica Minimum Ideal Nr. 240-241, Nixe Nr. 557-590, Reicka Nr. 300-360, Teddy Nr. 130- 140B-170, Toska Nr. 160-181, Trix Nr. 220, Tropica Nr. 280, Volta Nr. 120-290D-350D
If you are the owner of any of these cameras, please let me know its serial numbers. Information about serial numbers from all other ICA cameras with Carl Zeiss Jena lenses and Compur/Compond shutters will be also welcome.
THANKS
My next project will be to collect information and serial numbers from Hüttig, Wünsche and Krügener: I will appreciate if any of you want to share original catalogues from these companies
| ICA
models: Ica Alpha |
lenses
on ICA cameras: lenses with "Ica" name were manufactured by Optische Anstalt Saalfeld
Ica Achromat Busch Doppel-Anastigmat Carl Zeiss Amatar Goerz Dagor Meyer Aristostigmat Plaubel Doppel-Orthar Rodenstock Heligonal Suter Anastigmat projection lenses: Ica Cupido shutters: Deckel Compound |
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last updated: Mars, 2022
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