Willard & Co. Lens circa. 1860

[CCHarrison]

Agreed with Garrett- no early US makers of RR's.... not until the 1880's I believe.... Dallmeyer and Steinheil patents probably the cause...

US lenses in the 1860's, other than Petzvals, which were wide angles of various degrees - would be Harrison's Globe and Orthoscope (late 50's); Fitz lens (rare), Schnitzer lens (rare), Zentmayer's lens, and then early 70's with various Morrison lenses...

I believe Usener made lenses under his own label, for Holmes, Booth and Haydens (HBH Label), and for Willard (Willard Label) over many years.

Dan

[goamules]

Here is one of my Willards, halfplate size, in uncommon nickel.

[CCHarrison]

PS - I have come across google references that WHJ's stereoviews were taken with a pair of Willard lenses... This would mean it was a pair of Petzvals....which was common during this period...

read entries 1,3 and 4 ... just the intro paragraphs on each entry on this page

http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&t...7c9706193909e5


Dan

[BarryS]

Interesting. It makes sense that the Petzvals would have been used for stereoviews. I was just examining a WHJ print from a mammoth plate this past week, and it was fairly sharp up until the corners. I can't remember the date of the image, but was it likely he used a Globe or other pre-RR lens? How long did it take for RR/aplanats to start showing up at American suppliers.

@Garrett--what an interesting lens, especially with the nickel plating and the radial drive. Any idea of the date?

[goamules]

And since we are archiving all the interesting Willard history (there's only about 2-3 paragraphs about them out there at this time), a 6" Willard, old at the time, was used to make a telescope for the Lick Observatory. This was used to photograph the 1910 Haley's Comet. Long live the Petzval!

Crocker telescope - This telescope was constructed using the 6-inch Willard lens originally in use by a commercial photographer in San Francisco. The Willard lens was refigured by Brashear. [PASP 2, 128 (1890)] Starting with observations in 1892 the photographic results of this instrument fill the entire content of one volume. [E.E. Barnard, PLO XI (1913)] During the 1910 apparation of Comet Halley many different small lenses were used -- first at the Crocker telescope and later upon the Crossley. [Curtis, PASP 22, 117 (1910)] [N. Bobrovnikoff, PLO 17 (1931)]

I tried to upload some pictures of the telescope but they failed due to .pdf format....I'll have to redo them.

[Two23]

Here is one of my Willards, halfplate size, in uncommon nickel.

When did they start plating brass with nickel? I always thought it started in the 1890s, but have heard a few suggestions it started in the 1870s.


Kent in SD

[CCHarrison]

BarryS - E&HT Anthony became the big US importer of Dallmeyer lenses starting in 1866. I am fairly certain Dallmeyer RR's would have been imported fairly quickly and on the market in the US by 1869 or so. I do see ads from the UK as early as 1867 for the lens. Probably the same timing for Steinheil's lens.

Also, I found the 1866 Willard Ad that talks about them buying out Usener's equipment and how Usener made lenses for HBH for 13 years. See attached. If you look at all the Willard ads I posted in sequence - it reads (1866) that Willard bought out Usener's equipment and have secured his talent, in the 1867, the ad says "made under the direction of Usener," and by 1869 Usener isnt mentioned, but Baldwin, another ex-HB&H employee is.... While other companies had lenses made for them to label as their own, Willard appears to have "bought" or employed a well known optician (Usener, after working with HB&H from about 1853-1865 ) to make them "in-house" as Willard lenses. So, I guess we could say Willard was a maker and seller of its lenses... and to finish the Usener story...it looks like he wasnt with Willard too long as by 1871 he appears to be selling under his own name; Anthony advertises "Usener" lenses for sale in 1871 and Charles Cooper & Co, a photographic dealer out of NY, advertised itself as the sole agents for CF (Charles F.) "Usener Portrait Lenses" in 1873, 1878 & 1882 and even advertises some stock of Usener lenses in 1905 !

Dont know when the first "nickel" lenses were made / arrived, but I do find references to Usener lenses supplied in nickel in 1875 (Photographic Times). I read that nickel was shown not to oxidize as much as other metals and it appears nickel plating started increasing in the US around 1870... Nickel was also used (with other metals) in US coinage during this period.

Dan

[goamules]

...Garrett--what an interesting lens, especially with the nickel plating and the radial drive. Any idea of the date?

I have researched it as much as I can, talking to many people and going into a lot of archives like Dan's advertisements. I still can't give a definitive date, but they started in about 1857, and my serial number leads me to surmise about 1859, but with the nickel plate I'm not sure. I've talked to several premier collectors who have studied lenses for decades, and nickle did become quite popular for about 10 years or so in American lenses, but I don't know the exact start date.

[Andrew Plume]

Willard was a reseller of other makers goods...

1867 and 1869 Willard ads attached

You may want to visit my site with early ads: http://antiquecameras.net/18481875advertisements.html


Dan

great stuff Dan, thanks for posting - I'm really fond of these old adverts

andrew

[cdholden]

great stuff Dan, thanks for posting - I'm really fond of these old adverts

andrew

Me too. I especially like being reminded of the fact that bullshit is timeless. I find it comical. The marketing makes me want to go buy a used horse and buggy.

"...we refrained from doing so until such time as we could introduce INSTRUMENTS OF A SUPERIOR ORDER OF EXCELLENCE."

True. It may have been good quality gear, but it was also hype. Hype sold then just as it sells now.

Chris