But the fate brought him met George Eastman (the company’s founder of Kodak) during his honeymoon in England. Victor’s Grandfather Arvid Viktor Hasselblad (Hasselblad founder’s son), who established the Hasselblad photographic division within the company and thought that the division would not be profitable for the company. In fact, Hasselblad’s success is the result of at least three generations of effort, with a lot of important business decisions formed, which also contains ANOTHER gentlemen’s agreement legend.

Of course, lacking of competition from Rollei was not the major reason drove Hasselblad’s success. Hasselblad & Rolleiflex – Competition between Gentlemen Because of this agreement, Rollei missed the golden period to enter the SLR market, indirectly helped Hasselblad to achieve the leadership position in medium-format SLR market. Therefore, since 1960, Rollei started to develop medium-format SLR and introduced its first 6X6 SLR camera in 1966 – Rolleiflex SL66. Victor promised that Hasselblad would not enter the TLR market And Reinhold Heidecke also said Rollei would not launch medium-format SLR cameras.This gentlemen’s agreement lasted until 1960, the year of Reinhold Heidecke died. During their conversation, these two gentlemen made a verbal agreement. Reinhold, of course, was holding a Rolleiflex TLR (if you are interested in Rolleiflex history, please read the article “I am a TWIN”), Victor was using his company SLR – Hasselblad 1000F. In Råö, each of them was holding their own manufactured camera to take pictures for each other and share ideas and experiences.

Subsequently, in 1955, Reinhold Heidecke visited the Hasselblad factory located in Gothenburg Victor also offered Reinhold hospitality in Råö. After the Photokina, Victor invited Reinhold to visit his camera factory located in Sweden. The story took place in 1954, when two camera manufacturers’ bosses met at the Photokina in Cologne.One was the founder of F & H (now known as Rollei) called Reinhold Heidecke, and the other one was the boss from Hasselblad, Victor Hasselblad.

But this incredible verbal agreement was really happened in the camera history! They not only had NO vicious competition, also based only on a verbal gentlemen’s agreement, reached consent that never produced the opponent’s similar products. What if I tell you there were two industry-leading companies, their targeted customers were basically the same.

Especially today’s large enterprises, their lawsuits based on patents, designs, or copyrights etc., basically are happening every minute. Hasselblad V-system 500C – Classic Modular SLRīusiness is war, this simple truth I am sure you have heard and agree with it.

Rolleiflex camera 1929