Aktiengesellschaft Aristophot

Company History

A real big one when it comes to real photo (and other) postcards. Another case of the rise and fall of a "blown-up" postcard company on shares.

The story begins with "Anstalt für vervielfaeltigende Kuenste Otto Lienekampf" from Leipzig-Reudnitz which was originally set up in September 1899. Owner: Heinrich Otto Lienekampf. Company secretary: Gustav Paitz. They worked with several printing/pre-press processes.

On 3 July 1902 the word mark "Aristophot" was registered for Otto Lienekampf, Leipzig-Reudnitz, Perthestr. 2. Trade: Photo-mechanical fine arts printing. Products: machinery for real photo printing and duplication.

On 11 November 1902 the limited company Aristophot, Photographische Maschinendruck-Anstalt was set up at Leipzig. For industrial photo-mechanical real photo printing, publishing business and photo paper production. Business capital 300,000 Marks. Business manager Otto Lienekampf brought in patents and other secret formulas valued 210,000 Marks, production machinery worth 70,000 Marks a.s.o. O. Lienekampf held 80,000 Marks Aristophot business shares, Gustav Paitz 20,000 Marks.

In December 1902 Aristophot took over the photographic printing dept of Anstalt für vervielfaeltigende Kuenste and converted it into a limited company. Business manager the former owner Otto Lienekampf, company secretary Gustav Paitz. Otto appears to had been a smart businessman indeed. Aristophot Ltd. company moved to Taucha (near Leipzig) later in 1903. Employed were some 200 persons at Taucha.

The final step took place on 23 December 1903 when the Aktiengesellschaft Aristophot was set up with a business capital of 2,000,000 Marks in shares. The new company was formed by Aristophot, Photographische Maschinendruck-Anstalt m.b.H., Leipzig-Reudnitz, their daughter company Anstalt für vervielfaeltigende Kuenste, Otto Lienekampf and Adolph Engel, Vereinigte Photolithographische und Papierwaren-Industrie GmbH, Berlin. The latter with name addition Aristophot Berlin branch formerly Adolph Engel. Photos AG from Bachgaden-Waedensw(e)il, Switzerland, was also part of AL. Emulsion works (for coating photo paper) led by Dr. Gustav Schmies and run as separate company.

Founders of the new AL joint-stock company were Otto Lienekampf, Leipzig-Reudnitz, Alfred Wulf, Schlachtensee near Berlin (co-owner of Adolph Engel), Johann Valentin Hermann Mueller, Leipzig-Reudnitz and businessmen August Ferdinand and Louis Albert Kroehl, both from Leipzig. These persons held also all shares.
AL business: Real photo printing using own patents and exposure machines, publishing business, letterpress and litho printing shop, book binding and packaging, varnishing, colouring and embossing facilities.

Adolph Engel Company, Berlin

Adolph Engel, lithographic printers, purveyor to the royal court, was established on 20 September 1848 and found at Am Tempelhofer Berg 5a, Berlin SW. Specialised in picture books and games for entertainment and education since the 1890‘s. Also export. Owners were Hermann Engel and Alfred Wulf.
A new AE company was set up in June 1903. Vereinigte Photolithographische und Papierwaren-Industrie GmbH, with for a limited company impressive business capital of 800,000 Marks. Business and production facilities identical with that of AG Aristophot.
Managing directors were Hermann Engel, Berlin-Gross Lichterfelde, Alfred Wulf, Schlachtensee. Company secretary Otto Bruesehaber, Berlin. Brought in was the AE business with a value of 350,000 Marks.
Jobst Hinne, Friedenau, Theodor Gleichmann, Berlin, Walter Overbeck, Charlottenburg, Oskar Overbeck, Gross-Lichterfelde, Dr. jur. Louis Linke, Berlin and engineer Otto Thiele, Berlin, brought in their common rights for a patented exposure machine (patent 136,301) and another entered for registration real photo printing machine (no. 30029/VI 57 C), both formerly in the possession of Multiphot GmbH (liquidated 2 May 1903) with a fixed value of 290,000 Marks.

A business notice from February 1905 informs that Adolph Engel GmbH, Berlin, is not longer part of Aktiengesellschaft Aristophot. The co-operation had not lasted really long.

AL Company Decline

Aristophot reduced the business capital to 1,200,000 Marks in 1905 after AE had dropped out. The beginning of a series of set-backs, financial losses, management mistakes by the ever changing board of directors.

The new impressing Aristophot factory was erected in 1906 at Weststr. 11, Taucha (illustrated in TPA issue 28). Now they had four real photo printing lines for production. At best times Aristophot employed some 400 persons. But by the end of 1906 Aristophot AG had to be re-organised to stay in business. Capital down to 900,000 Marks. Losses of the business year 1905-06 amounted to 257,664 Marks. The next year it got even worst with a tremendous loss of 1,035,112 Marks.

Nothing but problems with branches/representatives in USA, England, France and Russia, big insolvency of an Austrian joint-venture partner, Photos AG, Switzerland (share capital 390,000 Francs) was closed.
Aristophot business capital reduced to 526,000 Marks, one of the directors came from Albrecht & Meister A.G., Berlin, already and then on 9 September 1909 Aristophot became part of Amag officially. Production remained at Taucha for a couple of years. In June 1913 Amag offered the former AG Aristophot factory/premises for sale.

Founder and chairman Otto Lienekampf had left the sinking AL ship already earlier (March 1907). Together with a Paul Giese, Schöneberg, he set up Phototechnische Gesellschaft m.b.H., Dresdener Str. 43, 2nd floor, by early March 1908. Business capital 200,000 Marks. Not surprising that it was a fine arts photographic printing company again.

The Adolph Engel company declared insolvency late 1909. Some of their production facilities were purchased and moved to Thuringia. E.A. Schwerdtfeger & Co., Berlin, took over a good share and even used former AE premises for some time.

Some Aristophot cards and more notes on next page.