Carl Zeiss donates prototype camera to George Eastman House
The Camera Lens Division of Carl Zeiss AG has presented a prototype model of the new Zeiss Ikon 35mm rangefinder camera to George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, N.Y -- which holds the world's largest collection of photographic equipment. The donation to the Eastman House archives was made by Dr. Winfried Scherle, Vice President & General Manager of the Camera Lens Division at Carl Zeiss AG, to commemorate the first new Zeiss Ikon camera in more than 30 years and to recognize the long history of contributions made by the Carl Zeiss company to the photo industry.
The special presentation in May 2006 was attended by Eastman House board members, the Zeiss Historical Society, professors from the University of Rochester Department of Optics, and many interested photographers and collectors. Joining Dr. Scherle were Helmut Heier, Sales Manager, Camera Lens Division of Carl Zeiss AG and Richard Schleuning, National Sales Manager, Photo Division of Carl Zeiss, Inc. Prior to presenting the camera to Eastman House Trustee Lisa Brubaker, Dr. Scherle spoke at length about the history of the Carl Zeiss company, the contributions made to the industry and the current company activities with partners such as Sony, Nokia, Hasselblad and others.
The prototype camera body and lens will join approximately 150 other Zeiss Ikon cameras, lenses and accessories in the archives at George Eastman House. Holding one of the world's largest collections of Zeiss Ikon equipment dating from the first Zeiss Ikon cameras in 1926, the addition of the new Zeiss Ikon camera completes the circle and marks the reestablishment of the Zeiss Ikon brand in the photographic market.
About Carl Zeiss
Carl Zeiss is a leading international group of companies operating worldwide in the optical and opto-electronic industry. Carl Zeiss AG is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Group consists of six business units that operate with sole responsibility. They are generally ranked first or second in the three strategic markets of biomedical research and medical technology, system solutions for semiconductor, automotive and mechanical engineering industries, and optical consumer goods such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.
The Carl Zeiss Group is directly represented in more than 30 countries and operates production facilities in Europe, America and Asia. In fiscal year 2004/05 (ended September 30) the Carl Zeiss Group generated revenues totaling EUR 2,222 million. It employs 11,500 people across the globe, including 3,300 outside Germany. The eyeglass business has been merged with the U.S. company Sola International and now operates as Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH. This company is owned 50:50 by Carl Zeiss AG and a private equity company. Further information is available at www.zeiss.com
About George Eastman House
George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, N.Y. holds the world's largest collection photographic apparatus, totaling 16,000 artifacts, as well as the largest known collection of photographic apparatus catalogues; 18th-century camera obscura; Giroux Daguerreotype camera signed by Daguerre (1839); Edison Kinetoscope (1894) and Lumiere Cinamatographe (1895); NASA Lunar Orbiter (1966): and cameras and equipment used by Ansel Adams, Mathew Brady, Alfred Stieglitz, and Edward Weston. George Eastman House is the world's leading museum of photography and film, with unparalleled collections of photography, cameras, and motion pictures. The museum opened to the public in 1949 on the estate of Kodak founder George Eastman, the father of popular photography and motion picture film. Today George Eastman House is a National Historic Landmark and stands as the world's oldest photography museum and one of the oldest and most important motion picture archives. George Eastman House is a world leader in film and photograph preservation, housing the world's first permanent school of film preservation and the world's leading program in photograph conservation, as well a master's degree program in collections management and photograph preservation. Further information is available at www.eastmanhouse.org
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