Leica and Midland Ontario?

Greetings all.....for two years running I have put off a family visit to

Midland Ontario a quiet town North of Toronto Canada. Not

because of any Leica connection but because it is the home of a

re-creation 17th century Jusuit-Huron village called Ste-Marie

Among the Hurons.

<p>

Excuse my ignorance but I assumed Leica Canada was

produced-assembled in Toronto the largest city in Canada.

Suprise! Suprise! After I purchased a "Canadian" 35mm

Summicron I couldn't help notice the Midland Canada lettering

on the box. Does anyone know the history of Leica Company

and Midland? Is there a Leica legacy in this town? Museum?

Gallery? If so I'll have to make it there this summer to check

things out.

Thanks

Martin

The Noctilux and 75 Summilux were born in Midland!

<p>

How's that for famous Canuck glass!!!

The 180 f/3.4 APO is also a Midland lens, as well as the 90mm

Summicron-R and many other noteworthy Leica lenses. Various

rangefinder bodies were also made in Canada at various times.

<a href="http://www.elcan.com/AboutElcanHISTORY.htm">Ernst Leitz

Canada ELCAN History</a>

<p>World reknown lens designer Walter Mandler pioneered computer

aided lens design technique and designed Summilux, Telyt in

Ernst Leitz Canada Midland, Ontario and set a new standard in lens

design

<h3> How Walter Kluck of Leitz Canada, Midland, saved Leica rangefinder from extinction. </h3>

Walter Kluck, was the head of a small Leitz plant at the town

of Ingborg, Saar, led a team (Dr. Walter Mandler among them )from Wetzlar to set up a plant in Midland Ontario Canada in 1952<p>

In 1974, Wild Heerbrugg AG of Switzerland acquired 51% control of

Ernst Leitz Wetzlar<p> This was a difficult time for Leitz, the huge

popularity of SLR had diminished the sale of Leica rangefinder (M4, M5) to a point that it was not economical to produced them. Leitz management was on the brink of discontinued the production of Leica Ms

<p> The general manager of then Leitz Canada, Midland, Ontario, stepped up, and offered to produced M4-2 at Midland, Ontario, to

take advantage of the lower cost.<p>

"Walter Kluck's faith and perseverance had saved the Leica rangefinder from extinction"<p>

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From Gunther Kadlubek :Classic camera collection, Verlag Rudolf Hillebrand, 2001 p109