Founded in 1756 by Johann Christoph Voigtländer in Vienna, the company initially focused on scientific instruments. Voigtländer gained fame for the Petzval lens, developed in 1840, which revolutionized portrait photography with its wide f/3 aperture. The company also created the first all-metal daguerreotype camera. In the late 19th century, Voigtländer expanded to Braunschweig, Germany, and in the 1920s, introduced the popular Bessa camera series. In 1956, Carl Zeiss acquired Voigtländer, continuing its legacy.