Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/09

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] Canadian lenses (now aluminxxxx)
From: Robert Martin <robertnmartin@earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 09 May 2001 12:40:40 -0700
References: <DAV395V3GykBbKP7Ie800000350@hotmail.com> <20010509080215.94372.qmail@web9102.mail.yahoo.com>

I really wonder about the accuracy of this story.  Certainly the dates are
way off.  Aluminum was not a mass produced quantity until the 20th century,
after the process of cheaply extracting aluminum was discovered in the
late 19th century.  In the late 1800's, the price of aluminum was similar
to gold and platinum (ie tens of $ per ounce)!  By the 1920's, the price
was down to 20-30 cents/pound.
This was the steepest  decline in a metal commodity price in the history of
mankind.  My point:  Did ALCOA even exist in 1867?  Why?  It certainly
wasn't to make large quantities of aluminum.

Bob




At 10:42 AM 5/9/01 -0400, you wrote:


>The spelling was "aluminium" until ALCOA was founded in Pittsburgh around
>1867 or so, and their signpainter got the name wrong.  ALCOA didn't have
>the money to have the sign repainted, so the new spelling stuck.  Or so I
>was taught at Jefferson Junior High School in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania,
>around 1965.
>
>Marc
>
>msmall@roanoke.infi.net  FAX:  +540/343-7315
>Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!

In reply to: Message from "Sonny Carter" <sonc@sonc.com> (Re: [Leica] Canadian lenses (now aluminxxxx))
Message from Ray Moth <ray_moth@yahoo.com> (RE: [Leica] Canadian lenses)