Nikon (Nippon Kogaku K.K.), Tokyo

Why this artist matters now

Nikon is a Japanese optical and precision manufacturing company founded in Tokyo in 1917, initially as Nippon Kogaku K.K. The company became globally recognized for camera design and lens engineering that defined postwar photographic practice. Nikon's F-series camera system and Nikkor lens line established industrial standards for both professional and amateur photography from the 1950s onward. The company's technical innovations in optical glass and mechanical precision shaped the material conditions of twentieth-century image-making.

Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 28d ago