Graflex.org

[rwhitbread]

In the box that I got from the estate sale that yielded my Graflex Miniature was a leather filter case. Most filters are Ednalite's for another "newer" rangefinder, (old Tower 35mm), but there was one yellow slip on filter for the Graflex's Raptar lens,

The markings on the side say "Kelpan Y1 32mm"

I've been trying to do some research on this filter, but the search term "Kelpan" doesn't bring up much. I searched Graflex.org and got nothing, nada, zilch.

Anyone know anything about this filter manufacture, its history, etc? Any info that can point me in the right direction is greatly appreciated.

I think I should start calling that box from the sale, the "box that just keeps giving"




https://goo.gl/photos/YZozQRAa33c1MvjB8

https://goo.gl/photos/QJPG2vfi7dsqr4Mf7

[rwhitbread]

Some of the mystery is solved, at least on the historical side.

From this website [url]
https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://photobutmore.de/vintagephoto/filter/hersteller/&prev=search[/url]

(Please forgive the poor translation)

Kelpan was a brand of filters that was born of, Pan Ortho, a filter manufacturer in the 1920s

By 1945, Pan Ortho started selling filters under the brand name "Kelpan" and continued until the 1962, when the company was bought out by Heliopan

Contrary to the eBay posting I found, Kelpan was not directly associated with Ziess.

As far as my project is concerned, this appears to fit the history of the camera (Manufactured in 1938-1939, purchased in 1939, and used by the original owner until the 1960s. So knowing the history is great, but finding specifics about the filter, and other Kelpan filters made in the same time period, is going to be a bit of challenge.