This week I've had the pleasure of working w/ NOAA and NGS(National Geodetic Survey) in collecting data at a Tennessee River crossing for a proposed Memphis to Atlanta corridor. High accuracy levels w/ precision optics in combination w/ procedures are the key in obtaining accurate data. With that said, we were using 2 matched pairs of West German Zeiss Ni2 levels as well as a 1/2 bubble Carl Zeiss Jena Ni004 level(purchased by NOAA or NGS from East Germany during the Cold War). When I spun the level around for the backsight, there on the side of the Carl Zeiss Jena was the East German "Outstanding Quality" mark of a "Q" with an over stamped "1" from the center of the "Q" upward. During the 1950s and 1960s in addition to the "Outstanding Quality" mark were the proof marks of "Good Quality"(triangle w/ rounded edges w/ a "1" in the center, "Utility Quality"(triangle w/ rounded edges w/ a "2" in the center and from 1950-1961 a "Special Quality" mark of a rounded edge triangle w/ a "S" in the center. So this got me to thinking about Carl Zeiss and his contribution to sporting optics and I researched it a bit. Before WWII(beginning in Jena in 1846) Zeiss had facilities in Oberkochen and Jena. In the late 1880s, Jena Glass was used in Voigtlander photo systems and was probably the beginning of quality optics in sporting optics. The key in optics is light transmission and the discovery of adding an ar coating was the beginning of great advances of optics. Before WWII in the 1930s, an ar coating was added which lead to the mark of the Red "T" on Zeiss optics. I've read that advances in ar coatings were post WWII but also that a patent circa 1936 yielding the "T*" mark on Zeiss optics. After WWII, the American occupied Jena for a couple of months and collected data and technology while filling boxcars as the 80th Infantry Division prepared to move Zeiss to Stuttgart, West Germany. Due to strong complaints from the Russians, Eisenhower himself had to pull the plug on moving all the “stuff”. But crucial Zeiss employees were moved to Stuttgart. Purportedly, the Russians then moved technology and tooling to the Kiev Camera Works. It was then after a recovery that East German Zeiss optics under the name of Carl Zeiss Jena were sold to Western countries, which brings us to the ½ bubble Carl Zeiss Jena 1st order level that had the “Outstanding Quality” mark. Early on, Zeiss also allowed optical components to be used in Hensold, A.G. of Wetzlar, Germany and others. So many of the early quality sporting optics, and military, had the sought after Zeiss optical components. For example, a surveying instrument has around 30 optical components while a periscope has near 700 optical components. Many proof marks that we are familiar with on sporting arms are marks that span the spectrum and sporting arms, and their accoutrements, are just a small portion of overall production and companies are dependent of engines of war and the like to fuel their industry. To me, this really puts sporting arms into perspective as after the heyday of multibarrel manufacture, sporting arms are only a small portion of the pie of commerce which looks to be shrinking daily.
Info on Zeiss can be found in the title: “Compendium, East & West – 1940 – 1972” but I have not read it yet.
Kind Regards,
Raimey
rse
Last edited by ellenbr; 05/15/08 11:53 PM.
