Spiratone was a company specializing in low-cost

lenses A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements''), ...

and filters for

camera A camera is an instrument used to capture and store images and videos, either digitally via an electronic image sensor, or chemically via a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. As a pivotal technology in the fields of photograp ...

lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight. ...

, and

darkroom A darkroom is used to process photographic film, make Photographic printing, prints and carry out other associated tasks. It is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light-sensitive photographic materials, including ...

equipment. The company was started by Fred Spira in 1941 in the bathroom of his parents' apartment where he developed

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

. In 1946, it relocated to a large loft on West 27th Street in Manhattan and then grew to a successful multimillion-dollar company. Mail orders were filled from their larger warehouse store on Northern Blvd. in

Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial ...

. Spiratone was an innovator in the industry, being one of the first companies to import Japanese photo equipment to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It also became widely known as a distributor of odd, unique, or novelty photographic equipment such as Color Pre-tinted Black & White Photographic Printing Paper and the right-angled spy lens. Other popular items included a very inexpensive 400mm telephoto lens and a stabilization processor. According to

Herbert Keppler Herbert "Burt" Keppler (April 21, 1925 – January 4, 2008) was an American photographer, journalist, author and consultant. His career spanned 57 years, including 37 at '' Modern Photography'' and two decades at '' Popular Photography''. H ...

, tests of Spiratone lenses "often proved them equal to or superior to that of famous manufacturers' own products." Well-known photographer and writer Norman Rothschild used Spiratone lenses and filters for many of his photographs that appeared in the pages of

Popular Photography ''Popular Photography'', formerly known as ''Popular Photography & Imaging'', also called ''Pop Photo'', is a monthly American consumer website and former magazine that at one time had the largest circulation of any imaging magazine, with an edit ...

magazine where he served as a writer and editor for a third of a century.Kennedy, Cora Wright. ''Tools and Techniques''. Popular Photography, March 1984, p. 130. 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.

References

* Photography equipment manufacturers of the United States Technology companies established in 1941 Companies based in New York City Technology companies disestablished in 1990 1941 establishments in New York City 1990 disestablishments in New York (state) Photographic lenses {{US-manufacturing-company-stub de:Fred Spira