Re: Lerebours Serial Number - Rice Writing
I am now the owner of JFS (Lerebours?) serial number 6425, which is a pill box type landscape achromat. This was also a major product from Lerebours in the 1850's.
Wrongly listed as Magic Lantern and JES engraving. Will it also have the lens edge scratched serial numbers?
More info in a week.
For the very interested, here is the link.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/J-E-S-OLD-...gAAOSwuxFYw7Ju
Re: Lerebours Serial Number - Rice Writing
Isn't this a Petzval with a missing element?
Kent in SD
Re: Lerebours Serial Number - Rice Writing
No, I don't think so.
The inner barrel is quite short. There is a thread cut inside the open front end, so it hasn't been shortened. The seller described the rear lens as a single lens.
THere are three different landscape designs shown in D'Agostini's book, which have a screw-in plate with the front washer stop arrangement.
The example illustrated on page 239 is particularly interesting as it has a serial number just 3 away from my JFS. That is, 6422 rather than 6425.
The serial number is also only 50 or so away from the other JF Shew lens I have, which could mean that he got hold of a restrcted number of these. Shew was very much a one man business in the 1850's and I doubt he could have reached this serial number, unless he just used the lens scratched numbers from Lerebours to make the brass engraving serial number.
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Re: Lerebours Serial Number - Rice Writing
The J.F.Shew/Lerebours & Secretan landscape meniscus lens arrived to-day. The edge scratches noted by the seller are, indeed the "rice" numerals and match the sleeve engraved numbers. There is not enough thread at the front to screw-in a lens cell due to the racking track, so it once had an end plate with pill box.
As I wrote in another thread on Maugey, a 1850's catalogue/advert for J.F.Shew exists , where he says he has imported Lerebours and Maugey for sale in London.
The threads on the two JFS lenses are identical which means only one flange is necessary and the petzval achromat can be used as an extra long landscape lens.
Re: Lerebours Serial Number - Rice Writing
Very good analysis and find!
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Re: Lerebours Serial Number - Rice Writing
Attachment 162620
The smaller lens, #3636, has the matching number on the glass but on the inside of the rear element... couldn't find it then finally examined with a magnifier in raking sunlight and voila! At 6x, it appears to be engraved or scratched onto the glass.
Thus far, I haven't found it on the larger lens #7927.
Russ
Re: Lerebours Serial Number - Rice Writing
A reversed rear lens perhaps on the smaller one?
I read the larger one as 2729. I think this is made in the period before his fetish with edge engraving began. Later Lerebours' (9,000?) are also without edge scratchings. Later: serial no. 8941 has lens scratchings as the highest number known at present.
Re: Lerebours Serial Number - Rice Writing
I wondered the same thing, Steven. The lens throws an image of about the proper focal length and it is quite sharp - as it is currently assembled, which seems to indicate a correctly oriented element. Is there an error in my logic?
Russ
Re: Lerebours Serial Number - Rice Writing
Some Petzval bl - convexes have very similar curves. I'll measure up my lerebourses tomorrow.
But there is a big difference. The flatter side points outwards.
Perhaps of relevence is a recently sold Lerebours et Secretan. This seemed to have two sets of 4 digit numbers on the rear face. This is a lens I didn't bid on as the front achromat surface looked unserviceable, unfortunately. I asked him about the numbers - thinking replacement. It turned out it was the same (correct serial number) 4 digit number, engraved on both sides of the lens. I'll try and find a photo from the listing.
It was Lerebours 6821.
If you look at photo no. 7, you will see the two sets of rear digits at the bottom. I was drawn to this as the outer number looks like it has been done by another method than the usual diamond pen - there are curves, rather than straight lines. The internal number is "standard scratching"! Quality control found this, at least!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Lere...p2047675.l2557
Later!
I have just had some correspondence with our "exclusive" Parisian shop owner. One of his items is a non-serial number Lerebours. I could see 4 equally spaced edge marks on his rear lens photo that looked very much like they could be the "four digits". I asked him to check, but "no there is nothing there". So then I sent him some of the photos from this thread. 30 minutes later he replied that they were there after all and the number was 4655 - about 1855 period. So (some) plain Lerebours barrels have concealed serial numbers.
Re: Lerebours Serial Number - Rice Writing
Steven, I examined the rear element and the side facing towards the film is almost flat... so it seems to be oriented correctly.
Russ