Etablissements Pierre Angénieux is founded in Paris

Invention of the Pictograph

Pierre Angénieux moves his Headquarters to Saint-Héand

A new factory is built, the company has 80 employees.

The company now has 170 employees

Invention of the Retrofocus. First Retrofocus lens (35mm f/2.5).

Start of the partnership with Kodak

Colour TV first appears in the United States

First 16mm and 35mm fixed cine lenses

The company has 370 employees. Mastery of the f/0.95 aperture.

Purchase of a Bull Gama 3 electronic calculator. All Bell & Howell 70 16mm cameras are now equipped with Angénieux fixed lenses.

First 4x zoom (17-68mm) for 16 mm cinema

The Company has 600 employees. 40% of sales are from the United States. First 4x zoom (35-140mm) for 35mm cinema.

First 4x zoom (40-160mm) for Orthicon television

First 10x zoom (12-120mm) for 16 mm cinema, and Angénieux 40-140mm Franscope zoom, first anamorphic zoom for 35mm cinema

First 10x zoom (25-250mm) for 35mm cinema

The new factory is extended. First colour TV Zoom for Plumbicon television.

Pierre Angénieux’s son Bernard joins the company. The company is assessed for the first time according to American MIL standards in order to become a regular supplier for the NASA programs.

Ranger 7 mission is a success. The first close-range photos of the moon are taken with a F25mm f/0.95 lens.

Scientific & Engineering Award for the Angénieux 10x Zoom

Visit of Prime Minister Georges Pompidou

18x tele-zoom (27.5-500) for Plumbicon 1” 1/4 colour TV. The specifications of this zoom (zoom ratio x short focal length in mm: 18x27.5) becomes a standard.

First 2x photographic zoom (49-90mm) for Leicaflex

The Apollo 11 is a success. On board, 6x25 Angénieux zoom lenses. The first steps on the moon are broadcasted in Mondovision.

Jean Moret, Pierre Angénieux’s son-in-law joins the company First military lenses and sub-assemblies for Thomson-CSF and TRT First heads-up display for civil and military aviation Beamsplitter for the Thomson-CSF TTV 1515 Plumbicon 1” 1/4 colour camera.

NASA visits Saint-Héand before the Skylab mission

Skylab is launched into orbit on May 14

Angénieux diversifies into medical optics and decides to reinvent surgery lighting

Pierre Angénieux retires

Apollo Soyuz project : Both the Russians and Americans have 6x25 zooms

42x Plumbicon 1” 1/4 camera zoom

Contract for 100 42x zooms for the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980

Beamsplitter for the first colour Hawkeye CCD camera by RCA

The American space shuttle Columbia makes its first flight. On board, 3x8.2 and 15x8.5 zooms.

Angénieux goes back to photography with the 35-70mm f/2.5-3.3 zoom New Sony Betacam. Arrival of ENG and rollout of 2/3” format

Jean Moret is awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France medal by the French President François Mitterrand Angénieux launches a complete range of ENG and OB lenses for 2/3” SD cameras 70-120mm zoom f/3.5.

Zoom 25-250 f/3.2 HP for 35mm cinema 100x zoom for Raytheon

Essilor buys up to 49% of the company’s Capital, Angénieux is the 3rd biggest manufacturer of lighting for surgery. The company has 625 employees. A branch is opened in Japan. 20x 8.5 zoom for lasers, 28-70 f/2.6 zoom, 180mm f/2.3 and 200mm f/2.8 fixed lens. New Sony DXC-3000 2/3”, the first professional CCD camera.

The observation satellite SPOT1 is put into orbit. Angénieux supplies the optical splitter system.

Zooms and optical systems for Martin Marietta (EU) and Oerlikon (Canada)

Essilor becomes the majority shareholder

Pierre Angénieux receives an Oscar for his lifetime contribution to the film industry

ISO9001 certification

Japan branch closes HD tests at the Winter Olympics in Albertville. 18x12, 10x12 and 32x15.5 zooms for 1” CCD HD cameras. First major HD broadcast of the Barcelona Olympic Games.

Ets Angénieux is taken over by Thomson CSF which became Thales in 2000. Jean-François Pernotte is appointed CEO, Denis Suveran General Manager.

Extension of the Saint-Héand site with the creation of a new production area. Photography production ends. Transfert of surgical lighting production to Air Liquide Médical but Angénieux remains a subcontractor. 62x9.5zoom for 2/3” SD cameras.

Creation of a digital endoscopic system ATC 3000

Pierre Angénieux dies on June 26, aged 91

Alain Darius is appointed CEO 72x9.5 zoom for 2/3” SD cameras

Thomson CSF becomes Thales with the merger of the military activities of Alcatel, Dassault Electronique and Thomson CSF. Angénieux launches a complete range of ENG and OB lenses for 2/3” HD camera.

Benoît Bazire is appointed CEO and Denis Levaillant General Manager

Innovation on zoom with the Optimo 24-290 and the Optimo 17-80

Cinec Award in Munich for the Optimo 24-290

Angénieux receives an Emmy Award for its work on HDTV. Philippe Parain is appointed CEO in November replacing Benoît Bazire and Denis Levaillant. Delivery of F150mm optics for NASA’s Dawn mission.

Presentation of the RED One camera. Cinema goes digital.

Innovation on the compact zoom lenses

Scientific and Engineering Award for the Optimo 15-40 and 28-76

Angénieux celebrates its 75th birthday and unveils a new logo ISO140001 certification. Stops production of Broadcast zooms Optimo DP pack for 3D cinema production. Launch of the Optimo 45-120 compact zoom lens for S35mm cinema.

Pierre Andurand is appointed CEO. Angénieux continues working on 3D HD TV.

Angénieux obtains Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label. OHSAS18001 certification 19.5-94 and 28-340 zooms (adaptations of the 17-80 and 24-290) for the new-size digital camera sensors.

SOC Technical Achievement Award for Optimo 15-40, 28-76 and 45-120

Cinec Award in Munich for the Optimo 45-120

First Optimo anamorphic compact zoom lens 56-152 A2S and Optimo zoom DP 25-250

Angénieux becomes an official partner of the Cannes Festival and creates the “Pierre Angénieux Tribute” to honour the Director of Photography Philippe Rousselot

Cinema is digital. The Optimo DP range is renamed Optimo Style. Optimo 30-72 A2S anamorphic compact zoom.

BSC Bert Easey Technical Award for Angénieux Zoom lenses

Angénieux pays tribute to Vilmos Zsigmond in Cannes

Angénieux pays tribute to Roger Deakins in Cannes

Launch of IRO technology, new EZ type range for 35mm and Full frame.

Angénieux pays tribute to Peter Suschitzky in Cannes

Optimo Ultra zoom 12x for S35mm, U35mm and Full Format

Angénieux pays tribute to Christopher Doyle in Cannes

Thales chooses the Saint-Héand teams to assemble Sophie cameras

Cinec award in Munich for the Optimo Ultra 12x

Thales LAS France creates a Cinema board (having merged with Thales Angénieux): Emmanuel Sprauel (President of the Angénieux brand), Pierre Créniault (Director of Cinema Optics), Severine Serrano (International Sales and Marketing Director), Christophe Remontet (Product Policy Director)

Angénieux pays tribute to Edward Lachman in Cannes

Just 50kms from Ceres, the Dawn probe fitted with Angénieux optics transmits incredible images of the asteroid which are of great interest to NASA

Optimo Primes Platinum set with IOP

Optimo Ultra compact to complete the full frame offer