The Bebe was first produced in 1911 by Zulauf of Switzerland these cameras, marked G.Z.C. on the face plate, were distributed in the UK by Carl Zeiss. In 1912 Zulauf merged into the Ica group. The Bebe was made in two sizes, the smaller for 4.5 x 6 cm plates the larger for 6.5 x 9 cm. There are a number of minor difference between examples. Early models have helical focusing where the whole front panel is moved, a single optical finder was fitted. In the early 1920s an improved version was introduced, this was fitted with a wire frame finder combined with an optical finder, focusing was by rotating the front lens and a Compur shutter was fitted, the last two modifications may have been introduced earlier. Lenses fitted were Tessars and, later, Triotars.

The 1913 British Journal Almanac (BJA) illustrates a similar model to the one shown here, when looking at the camera from the front the finder is at the top left, the speed dial is to the right of the lens, the plates are inserted from the right and the shutter controls are at the bottom. The illustration from the 1912 shows a similar camera except that the shutter speeds are set by a lever moving over an arc shaped scale, this may indicate that very early models were not fitted with a Compound shutter.