The first product to carry the Minox name was a subminiature camera, conceived in 1922, and finally invented and produced in 1936, by German-Latvian Walter Zapp. The Latvian factory VEF (Valsts Elektrotehniskā Fabrika) manufactured the camera from 1937 to 1943. After World War II, the camera was redesigned and production resumed in Germany in 1948. Originally envisioned as a luxury item, the original Minox camera gained wide notoriety as a spy camera.
Minox branched out into 35 mm film format and 110 film format cameras in 1974 and 1976, respectively. Minox continues to operate today, producing or branding optical and photographic equipment.
Read more about Minox: History