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Paul Ewins
28-Jan-2012, 00:08
After months of procrastination I went to a local antique centre to look at some brass lenses on sale there. I was offered a bulk discount and ended up buying three of them. One looks to be a magic lantern lens, but has no identifying marks whatsoever. The others are a Ross Rapid Symmetrical 18x22 and a Jamin lens. The Jamin has the following engraved on it:

174
JAMIN Ingr. Opticien
Brevete s.g.d.g.
127 Rue st. Martin
Paris

From what I could find this puts it between 1850 and 1856 and the construction of the lens seems to match that too - It is two groups at either end of the barrel, the front one slightly larger (130mm diameter) and the lens is about 280mm long (without lens hood). There isn't any slot for Waterhouse stops but there is a baffle in the centre that stops could be placed against if you unscrewed the front element. It is lighter than expected for it's size.

So far all the information I have found on Jamin has been about the Cone Centralisateur which this one isn't, but is this also a Petzval or is it some other design? Any Jamin historians out there that could comment about it?

Steven Tribe
28-Jan-2012, 02:50
No Jamin expert, but:

No Waterhouse stops because it is before that era (post 1860).
Yes, loose central stops do exist, I believe Eddie has a video with them (Jamin-Darlot?).
Jamin made lots of non-cone Petzvals.
Different diameter front and rear groups were common with the first Petzvals.

Steven Tribe
28-Jan-2012, 05:21
Unlike Jamin Darlot and Darlot, Jamin appears to have rationale behind his serial numbers (chronology wise).
So you are looking at something from, perhaps 1850/1 - Jamin serial numbers went into the 1,000's. Although Jamin is reported to have an earlier address before 1850 (Kingslake, VM) I have never seen a Jamin with this address on it.

goamules
28-Jan-2012, 07:55
Jamin made a lot of interesting lenses that are of high quality, before Darlot. Besides the Cone Centralisateur you mention, there were convertible Petzvals ("can type" see this post (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=78883) with some of mine), pillbox landscapes, casket sets, and a few others. Upload a picture and we can tell you more.

Paul Ewins
28-Jan-2012, 21:17
Well here we are, with SLR for scale. You can just barely see the inscription at the bottom of the lens.

http://www.paulewins.com/old_site/resources/photos/jamin/jamin_174.jpg


http://www.paulewins.com/old_site/resources/photos/jamin/inscription.jpg


Following up something from another thread, this is the front group and what might just be Jamin pencilled on the edge.

http://www.paulewins.com/old_site/resources/photos/jamin/front_element.jpg

The visible seams on the bottom of the barrel are a mite concerning, although I guess they would have been hidden inside the camera. It may be that it was made from parts intended for a shorter focal length lens. I doubt anything would have been wasted in those days.

http://www.paulewins.com/old_site/resources/photos/jamin/rear_barrel.jpg

akfreak
28-Jan-2012, 22:46
IT is beautiful!

goamules
29-Jan-2012, 07:20
Well it's happened again, I've never seen a Jamin like that one! The wide knurling on the hood looks like a Derogy. Does it have a bayonette mount, versus threads? The stepped barrel, and the flat flange mount above the threads are unusual. But it is a very low serial number, and I can only guess Jamin started their numbers in sequence, at least for the first few years. So it's probably during the early period when they were trying different things to make their mounts. But the rear part that has the soldered sections is a later modification by someone.

alex from holland
29-Jan-2012, 07:27
It looks like they extended the focal lenght?

alon96
29-Jan-2012, 08:35
I also have a Jamin lens, but no Darlot trademark, which is a 91 / 2 inch focal length lens, serial number is NO.67. I want to know the production years.

Steven Tribe
29-Jan-2012, 09:55
1856 - 1860. Probably nearer 1856
Based on the address - rue Chapon 14.
Must have started a new serial number series - perhaps "Cone" numbers.

Paul Ewins
29-Jan-2012, 15:19
Garrett - the lens hood screws on. The rear section is doubly strange because that is where the inscription is, not on the front half. Maybe it was just the section behind the flange thread that was added, possibly to increase the focal length as Alex suggests. I'll see if I can get the rear group out and look for pencil marks there too.

CCHarrison
29-Jan-2012, 19:31
It's a bit of a Frankenstein lens if you ask me. I don't recall any lens that is inscribed at the bottom like this. All the parts, seams and solder make me nervous to try and identify it.

Have you taken any images with it ? I'd be curious as to it's performance.

Best,
Dan

Jim Fitzgerald
29-Jan-2012, 20:18
I'm thinking the same thing. Go make some images and let that be the deciding factor.

Steven Tribe
27-Jun-2017, 03:04
"
...............



174
JAMIN Ingr. Opticien
Brevete s.g.d.g.
127 Rue st. Martin
Paris
................

So far all the information I have found on Jamin has been about the Cone Centralisateur which this one isn't, but is this also a Petzval or is it some other design? Any Jamin historians out there that could comment about it?"

Found this old thread in connection with the patent application/granting in France around this time.
This has the brevete (patent granted) engraved - exactly as the no.171 page 202 in Corrado's book. It was Jamin's only patent. The cone is often damaged and the whole rear section has had a makeshift repair.