Morris Schwartz

SCHWARTZ, Morris Mr. Schwartz invented the first photoflash synchronizer in 1930 which enabled press photographers for the first time to take high speed flash photos of sports events indoors and in poor light conditions. In 1936 he invented the Kalart Lens Coupled Range Finder and Focuspot for Speed Graphic and other sheet film cameras to provide automatic focusing of these cameras without referring to the camera's ground glass. For these and other inventions the National Press Photographers Assn. awarded him their Joseph A. Sprague Award in 1952. Mr. Schwartz was born in Russia and came to America with his parents in 1906. His first job was in the photo department of the N.Y.Times and later was the staff photographer of the Jewish Daily Forward. He started manufacturing his inventions in New York City, but at the start of World War II moved his factory first to Stamford and later to Plainville where over 300 men and women where employed to make a number of photo and audiovisual products including the Kalart Camera, Craig movie editing equipment, Victor 16mm movie projectors and Kalart 8mm editing and movie projectors. Mr. Schwartz died peacefully at the age of 103 in his home in Laguna Woods, CA. He is survived by a son Charles Schwartz of Berkeley, CA; three grandchildren, and two great grandchildren and by his brother Hy Schwartz of New Britain.