Spiratone
Encyclopedia
Spiratone was a company specializing in low-cost lenses
and filters for camera
s, lighting
, and darkroom
equipment.
The company was started by Fred Spira
in 1941 in the bathroom of his parents' apartment where he developed film
. In 1946, it relocated to a large loft on West 27th Street in Manhattan and then grew to a successful multi-million dollar company. Mail orders were filled from their larger warehouse store on Northern Blvd.
in Flushing, Queens
.
It was an innovator in the industry, being one of the first companies to import Japanese photo equipment to the United States
.
The company was very successful during the 1950s and 60s and then eventually declined due to competition, closing after being acquired by another company in 1990, three years after Mr. Spira retired in 1987.
Photographic lens
A camera lens is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body and mechanism to make images of objects either on photographic film or on other media capable of storing an image chemically or electronically.While in principle a simple convex lens will suffice, in...
and filters for camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s, lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
, and darkroom
Darkroom
A darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century...
equipment.
The company was started by Fred Spira
Fred Spira
Fred Spira was an inventor and innovator in photography as well as a collector of photographic equipment, images, books, and ephemera. He is credited as one of three individuals who opened up the U.S. market to quality Japanese photographic goods....
in 1941 in the bathroom of his parents' apartment where he developed film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. In 1946, it relocated to a large loft on West 27th Street in Manhattan and then grew to a successful multi-million dollar company. Mail orders were filled from their larger warehouse store on Northern Blvd.
New York State Route 25A
New York State Route 25A is a state highway on Long Island in New York in the United States. It serves as the main east–west route for most of the North Shore of Long Island, running from the Queens Midtown Tunnel in the New York City borough of Queens at its western terminus to...
in Flushing, Queens
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
.
It was an innovator in the industry, being one of the first companies to import Japanese photo equipment to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The company was very successful during the 1950s and 60s and then eventually declined due to competition, closing after being acquired by another company in 1990, three years after Mr. Spira retired in 1987.