Joe or Pelti - Old Cameras

[wheelspinner]

Joe, Pelti

I can't remember which of you was the collector of old cameras.

I was given an antique lens assembly for an old Kodak for Fathers Day and I was wondering if either of you could give me more info on it.

Thanks.

CD

[wheelspinner]

Here is a photo of my present.

Attachments:

[Peltigera]

I collect old cameras. I can tell you that it is almost certainly an American made shutter (can't tell about the lens as there is no lens name visable). High-end Kodak cameras used German shutters (either Compur or Prontor) but this is not one of those. It is probably made before 1930 as it is a "dial set " shutter - which means there is a dial above the shutter housing to set shutter speeds. This changed from 1929 with the introduction of "rim set" shutters where the speed control is a ring around the lens rather than a separate dial. Those dates are not absolute, as existing stocks of shutters were used up - I have a camera with an early 1929 shutter and a late 1930 lens (going by their serial numbers).

[Peltigera]

More info. The shutter is an 'Autotime' shutter that was patented in 1908 by an American living in London and bought up by Kodak in 1909.

Actually, the shutter looks like this one on a Kodak No. 3 folding pocket Kodak.



This camera was made from 1909 to 1914 and used 118 roll film. That is not necessarily the camera model your shutter/lens came from but will be the correct date range.

[wheelspinner]

Thanks Pelti, that looks very much like the lens I have. After your earlier post I had a closer look at it. It has the Autotime Pat. 1908 on it, as you suggest. There is also a Kodak Automatic Pat. 1907 stamped on it.

I took the back part of the lens off. It has the words RAPID RECTILINEAR BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO. on it. So it looks like the lens is German.

The aperture dial says "Made by Eastman Kodak Rochester, NY, USA". I'm not sure if that means the shutter was made in the USA, or if that just refers to the company's HQ.

I can see why you collect them; it was a very unusual and interesting present.

[Peltigera]

The lens is American. Bausch and Lomb were two Germans who emigrated to the USA and founded a spectacle company which eventually went into camera lenses and supplies (still, I think) many of Kodak's lenses.

The Rapid Rectilinear lens was designed in London in the 1860s by JH Dallmeyer and consists of two identical lens either side of the shutter, but facing different ways - a bit like ( | ) . Each lens is actually two pieces of glass with different refractive indices cemented together (so four pieces of glass altogether). It was supposedly the best camera lens until Carl Zeiss came up with the Tessar design in the late 19th century. By thye sdate of your lens, I would guess the original patent had expired - or perhaps Bausch and Lomb made them under licence.

(I better warn you - this stuff is addictive!)

[wheelspinner]

Sept 20, 2011 9:02:34 GMT -5 Peltigera said:

The lens is American. Bausch and Lomb were two Germans who emigrated to the USA and founded a spectacle company which eventually went into camera lenses and supplies (still, I think) many of Kodak's lenses.

The Rapid Rectilinear lens was designed in London in the 1860s by JH Dallmeyer and consists of two identical lens either side of the shutter, but facing different ways - a bit like ( | ) . Each lens is actually two pieces of glass with different refractive indices cemented together (so four pieces of glass altogether). It was supposedly the best camera lens until Carl Zeiss came up with the Tessar design in the late 19th century. By thye sdate of your lens, I would guess the original patent had expired - or perhaps Bausch and Lomb made them under licence.

(I better warn you - this stuff is addictive!)

Thanks Pelti, that's all very interesting.

I think I agree with you; it does have a degree of fascination. Maybe I need to hide it for a while so I don't get sucked in. :-)