Minox Patents

Minox is the world’s most famous subminiature camera, which was invented by Walter Zapp and originally manufactured by Valsts elektrotehniskā fabrika^a (VEF) in Riga, Latvia. The Walter Zapp’s invention was protected by more than 80 patents in 24 countries. It was a genuine masterpiece of engineering and a work of art. Through the years, the Riga-made Minox reached almost a cult status and is a valuable collector’s item nowadays.

Introduction

Walter Zapp was a Riga-born Baltic German. In 1936, while living in Tallinn, Estonia, he created the first functioning prototype of his subminiature camera. In the same year he signed a contract with Latvian state-owned VEF to move the prototype into production. VEF developed Zapp’s camera from the prototype stage to the final product in a very short time period. The first cameras, named Minox, were produced in 1937. The series production was started in 1938 and continued even during the periods of Soviet and German occupation up to 1942. During the German occupation, the VEF’s manufacturing facilities were looted and the equipment carried off to Germany, and the production of Minox in Riga was consequently never resumed. However, after World War II, a new company was founded in Germany, with participation of Walter Zapp. Although this company was neither affiliated nor endorsed by VEF, it was named as Minox GmbH. In 1948, this company started to produce a new Minox camera, which was based on the design of the original Riga-made Minox. This company still exists, however, it had stopped the production of non-digital subminiature cameras in 2012.

Inventions

The innovative design and technical solutions of the original Minox camera were patented around the world. The first four patent applications were filed in Finland in 1936, followed by two applications in Sweden in 1938. Claiming the priority on these applications, further patent applications were subsequently filed in more than 20 other countries. These patent applications covered different aspects of the camera: film feeding mechanism, camera body, roll film cartridge, lens mechanism, and view-finder. In the same time, VEF filed also trademark applications in several countries for the name “Minox”. The first patents were granted in 1938. However, the last patent was granted in Finland in 1944 when VEF’s Minox manufacturing facilities did not existed anymore. It is known that VEF held a total of 80 granted patents in 24 countries on the Zapp’s invention.

Drawings from Finish patents № 19142, 20056 and 18319, and Swedish patents № 92525, 98341 and 104030.

Patent Documents

Film feeding mechanism

Camera body

Roll film cartridge

Lens mechanism

View-finder

Other patents

Endnotes

1. Valsts elektrotechniskā fabrika in old Latvian orthography
2. These documents are in the public domain.
3. Free City of Danzig
4. № 2627, № 2638 or an other unknown number
5. This kind of documents was numbered by the year and started at document № 1 at the start of each year. The number here represents the year of issue and the document number For example, № 38/262 means document № 262 of the year 1938.
6. Reciprocity date

Further Reading

HENDRE, Enn. Fifty years of the sub-miniature ‘Minox’. History of Photography. 1989, vol. 13, № 1, pp. 9 – 17. ISSN 0308‐7298. DOI: 10.1080/03087298.1989.10442163