Zeiss telescope in China

[drclaw]

I’m posting this on behalf of JCWater.

 

Would anyone know the model and time period of this telescope, and also why it might be in China?

Edited July 11, 2022 by drclaw

[Michael Johnson]

Can't really answer your question, but the Chinese Army had Krupp artillery pieces during the Boxer Rebellion 1900.  Perhaps German firms supplied optics at the same time.

 

Michael

[dedehansen]

Hi,

 

it is not made by Carl Zeiss, it is System Zeiss.

 

It is made by:

 

https://nedinsco.com/

 

Kind regards

 

Andreas

[drclaw]

Thank you, gentlemen. The German army trained the Chinese Nationalist army right up to the 1930s so it’s possible this might be a relic from this period.

[Elmar Lang]

Actually, this is not a telescope, but a rangefinder with a basis of 70,0 cm. as used to estimate distance with small calibre fileld artillery and machine-gun sections.

 

Yes, it's made by Nedinsco, licensed by Carl Zeiss Jena in the production of such equipment.

 

Germany exported any type of optics to China, from the early 20th Century, up to shortly before the 2nd World War.

 

Carl Zeiss (through its branch Zeiss Ikon) very well exported their revolutionary, modern 35mm. rangefinder camera, the "Contax", in its versions I, II and III, now very well known in the collecting community for their engraving "For China", sometimes engraved in chinese characters too.

 

Best wishes,

 

Enzo

Edited August 13, 2022 by Elmar Lang

[drclaw]

Thanks very much, Enzo.

 

It’s not something I know much about. It’s a fascinating relic of a period of Chinese history.