Can answer that question on behalf of Bob: The Luminars (Zeiss), Photars (Leitz), and Macro-Nikkors (Nikon) all were true 'macro' lenses, each model optimised for a specific range of magnifications.
They had no focusing helicoid and were very small, belying their high performance. You put them on long bellows or photomacrographic cameras such as the Nikon Multiphot. The Macro-Nikkors will cover 4x5" within their designated operation range. The other brands probably behaved in a similar fashion.
