In 1915, the company AGI (Aeronautical and General Instruments Co.) was founded in Croydon, England. The company specialized in the manufacture of instruments for military purposes. Among other things, it built an SLR camera for air surveillance by the air forces.
After the end of the war, the company saw an attractive opportunity for the production of optical instruments. Thus, in the 1940s, Agilux Limited was established as a subsidiary. The goal was to produce cameras for civilians. One of the first products was the Agilex toy reflex camera.
Until the early 1960s, the company produced cameras from England. A special feature was that the components for the cameras were all built in-house. The final products were sold not only under the company’s own brand, but also under private labels. Thus there were also cameras from Agilux under the traditional British brand Ilford.
After the end of Agilux, AGI, Aeronautical & General Instruments Ltd. continued to exist. The company continued to produce instruments and systems for military defense and civilian applications. In 2014, the parent company, AGI Holdings, was purchased by private equity firm J.F. Lehman & Company.
Today, AGI Holdings LLC describes itself as a leading global provider of proprietary situational awareness and LED lighting systems and components for defense and civil markets worldwide.
