Credited to Latvia. Zapp built the prototype in Tallinn, Estonia, in 1936, so Estonia has a claim to the design. Latvia's claim rests on Zapp's birth in Riga and on VEF developing and manufacturing the first production model there.
How it began
Walter Zapp, a Baltic German born in Riga in 1905, conceived the idea of a camera that could always be carried while living in Tallinn, where he worked for a photographer. With funding from his friend Richard Jürgens he built a working prototype in 1936. Jürgens could not find support for production in Estonia and contacted the state electrotechnical factory VEF in Riga, where Zapp demonstrated the prototype and enlargements made from its negatives. VEF took on production.
How it works
The Minox was smaller than a cigar and weighed less than a cigarette lighter, yet the prototype already produced photographs of high quality. It used a negative of 8 by 11 millimeters, a format that began with this camera. The lens focused very close, and most cameras came with a measuring chain that made it easy to copy letter-sized documents. The original Riga model had a metal shell that was replaced by lighter aluminum after the war.
How it spread
Production in Riga continued under both Soviet and German occupation until 1943. Zapp fled west in March 1941, carrying the prototype and the first production model. In 1948 a new company, Minox GmbH, began making the redesigned Minox II near Wetzlar in West Germany. Later models added a built-in light meter and, in 1969, electronic exposure control. The camera was used by both sides during the Cold War.
What changed first
VEF brought the camera to the world market on April 12, 1938, and obtained patent protection for Zapp's inventions in at least 18 countries. It was advertised widely in Europe and America and found a niche market. Its small size and close focusing drew the attention of intelligence agencies, and the United States Office of Strategic Services bought 25 Minox cameras in 1942. About 17,500 cameras left the Riga factory before production stopped.
Where it stands today
The last film model, the TLX, was available until 2014, and Minox stopped making 8x11 film that year. The company now produces sports optics and night-vision devices. The Riga Minox is a collector's item, and small firms in the United States and the United Kingdom still supply film for the mechanical models that hobbyists use.
