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glyphoscope
23-Jul-2013, 23:32
It seems a "Dallmeyer ledger book records" exist, with serial numbers and year of production.

Anybody know how can I get it?

Gylph

Steven Tribe
24-Jul-2013, 00:51
It exists as:

1. The original ledgers are deposited a local museum/library/archive in the UK - see Lens VM for details. These contains data as to the exact date, often to whom the lens was sent (E.Antony, for example), and whether it was part of a stereo pair.

2. A scanned copy of all pages (apart from a missing 1 or 2 pages) at the home of the late Sean McKenna in North London. He was an early Dallmeyer/reenactment buff who was always very helpful aboiut looking data up. Sean's hope was that the conversion to digital access should be completed and made available (copyright taken into consideration).

I understand a number of people approached his Widow shortly after his demise, but I do not have the current status about completion or availability.
I will make enquiries, as some time has now passed since Sean's death.
I think this "history" shows the danger of one-man projects, especialy in areas with fast developing technology!

glyphoscope
24-Jul-2013, 01:52
Many thanks for your quick answer!

Andrew Plume
24-Jul-2013, 10:53
Sean was a really lovely guy and very happy to help others

I sold him a Gandolfi tripod a couple of years ago and delivered it to his fairly modest unassuming semi in Barnet

we had the chat, he clad in pyjamas and dressing gown and showed me some of his plates that he made in his garden, he wasn't that well then

andrew

jodyake
24-Jul-2013, 21:25
Sen was a really nice guy. I bought a 4D from him right before he passed. I have been thinking of selling it since prices on old brass lens are going through the roof but there is something special about it and I think of him every time I see it.

Steven Tribe
25-Jul-2013, 02:40
I have had a message from Jennifer MacKenna and it is basically good news.

Just waiting for "clearance" from Jen, before posting a summary.

John Marriage
14-Sep-2013, 09:24
Any news of progress on this? As well as having a current need to date #114947, I'm the editor of Photographica World, and it sounds as if, with your agreement, it would be useful to publish such a summary.

goamules
14-Sep-2013, 10:07
I was working with Sean a couple years ago, we were planning to have me edit and package the ledgers once he had them all scanned. He last told me he was re-scanning a few that he didn't like the quality of, and then we'd finish. I have just a few sample scans. But it was too late. I have not tried to engage his widow, but know someone talked to her about our prior plan. I believe she is thinking it would be better to work with someone locally (though the digital files don't require that). But I'm not sure.

Steven Tribe
15-Sep-2013, 12:13
I havn't had any response from Jen since I sent her an email in July.

So what she said in July (some editing) was :


Dear Steven

Thank you for your message.There has been some progress. I only discovered recently Sean's domain host and transferred ownership to myself. Having abandoned his plan to publish the material as a book, X X has not shown any further interest. One of Sean's students- W W - has also copied the disc and intends to gather all his extant material and put on his (Séan's) website with a note that at the time of his death it was a work in progress. There was only one page that he (Séan) failed to copy but without practically starting from scratch it is not possible to identify which it was and the amount of "missing" information will be minimal.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.

X X and W W are not people I know of, or who are active on LFPF.

I am afraid that I am now doubtful that a recovery of Séans data can made.

John, I doubt serial number 114947 would be included as the ledgers cover the 19th century only!

John Marriage
18-Sep-2013, 09:31
Steven
My Dallmeyer 114947 is probably 1920s, so as you say won't be there - thanks for that. As for the research, if there were a way to contact WW i'd like to get a message to him that there could be a publication route for some of the material.
John

Steven Tribe
18-Sep-2013, 11:06
WW is a she!

Not sure whether I'm going to get response from Jennifer so I'll try and locate "WW's" contact address.
Meanwhile, I'll send a PM/email with data.
Sorry about this concealment, but I am careful with personal information received this way.

goamules
4-Feb-2014, 14:55
I thought everyone knew Sean's archives have been put online. But perhaps it has been missed, so here is the site:

http://www.thedallmeyerarchive.com/index2.html

I'm very happy Brent Archives has set this up. It's a great resource I wish we had for all the old lens manufacturers.

Steven Tribe
28-Nov-2017, 08:21
Just a note to mention not to expect the dallmeyerarchive stock books to be too exclusive as far as stated serial number range. Quite a few stock books contain serial numbers beyond the listed first and last. No. 7038 (and a lot of others!) are to be found in the stock book that goes up to 7000!

bourvil
31-May-2018, 00:02
I hope this is relevant thread. I am trying to date my Dallmeyer 3A portrait lens with sn 51261. Regarding the timespan of the books I date this lens somewhere in year 1891. I came into great site Thedallmeyerarchive (http://www.thedallmeyerarchive.com) but for some reason some resources of scanned books I am unable to open. That is the situation with the Patent Portrait lens in designation 3A from stock book 6 from years 1889-1895 or Brent Archive Brent Archive 198028/5/6

or simply on this site: Patent Portrait 3A stock book 6 (http://www.thedallmeyerarchive.com/Records/Volumes/stockbook6/Patent%20portrait.html)

Do some of You have similar experiece?

With thanks for contribution or help

Steven Tribe
31-May-2018, 02:12
Yes, the site is not stable and never has been. Sometimes you get part of the way, then, suddenly, it goes over to a hosting message. I retraced your steps and came to a deadend at the "patent portrait" series too!