Re: [Leica] Uh.... earth to lawyers....

[SthRosner@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/24/02 4:45:15 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
dgp@btconnect.com writes, quoting from Jonathan Eastland's book:

> 'There has been much confusion as to whether Leitz made their own optical
>  glass for their production lenses. In a letter from Leica GmbH to the 
author
>  dated 27 April 1993, a company executive stated that neither Leica nor 
Leitz
>  ever smelt its own glass from raw materials for production purposes. the
>  letter acknowledges the existence of the 'scientific laboratory' for the
>  exploration of new optical glasses, and details the fact that 'some of the
>  very special optical glasses were smelt there'.
>    'This information was supplied after persistent request by the author 
over a
>  period of two years for the company to clarify certain aspects of claims
>  made in advertising literature produced by the company. In particular, of
>  the document entitled Leica lenses for Optical Excellence, List Nr. 110-190
>  published and printed IV/85 (April 1985). On page 14 this states "Optical
>  glass of the highest quality...is the principle raw material, and some ten
>  tonnes per year are produced in our own factory, from formulations
>  originated by the Leitz Glass Research Laboratory."'

Somewhere in my Leica stuff, I have this pamphlet and it was this that I was 
looking for in response to the brouhaha over 'Leitz Glass Factory.' It was 
from this document that the reference I quoted was made and upon which I 
based my statements about the Leitz Glass Factory.

>  'Similar statements are made in other documents published by the company 
and
>  in virtually all literature produced by the company which deals with lens
>  products, the intimation is the same; that glass blanks are derived from 
raw
>  glass blocks and sheets produced on the premises. Logistically, the
>  production requirements, even for Leica's relatively small output (compared
>  to Japanese manufacturers) would require extensive smelting facilities 
which
>  Leica GmbH do not have and Leitz before never had.'
  
Crediting Jonathan's source, which I do, it appears that apart from 'some of 
the
very special optical glasses [that] were smelt there' which I suppose one 
could claim constituted 'factory' production, Leitz/Leica did NOT have a 
glass factory. 

Marc was right and I was wrong, having relied on misinformation supplied by 
the Leitz werke. Apologies to all.

Seth          LaK 9
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