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In 1945 the occupying American forces took the fabulous Zeiss lens collection from Jena to the United States. This was a unique collection of historic Zeiss lenses, specially significant lenses by other manufacturers, and, most importantly, a complete set of Zeiss prototype, sample and test lenses, together with the accompanying documentation. The collection was carefully kept for a time, having been studied by Kaprelian and Merté, but in the 1960s it was sold off piecemeal through Burke and James and other traders, and the surviving lenses now lie dispersed throughout numerous collections, mainly in the United States. One collector who appears to have bought a large number of these lenses was Burleigh Brooks, whose collection, including a number of rare and significant prototypes which were almost certainly part of the dispersed Zeiss lens collection. This lens came from that Collection. It is one of the only three 7cm f2.8 Tessars ever made by Zeiss. According to the Zeiss production data published by Hartmut Thiele (Fabrikationsbuch Photooptik Carl Zeiss Jena, 2003, p. 230), the optical calculations were finished on April 26, 1933, and the three test lenses (serial numbers 1428649 &€“ 1428651), marked "Muster" on the original index card, were delivered on May 5, 1933. No more were made and Zeiss continued to make 7cm f/3.5 lenses (for the Rolleiflex, VP Exakta and Super Ikonta) until 1937.Lens is EX+++ condition, no cleaning mark or haze,very faint trace of fungus removed marks on front element.
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