Age of Wollensak 6¼" (159mm) Extreme W.A.

[goamules]

Just so as the data does not get deleted. i refer back to it regularily. and I always assume that if I do then 50 other people do to.

What data, the serial numbers of a few random Wollensaks, with only a vague, hypothetical date reference? Ok then! Now you know the serial numbers of a few people's lenses. I guess the hypothesis in the thread about certain serial numbers indicating pre WWII, and the year the Wolcoating symbol appears can give at least a date within a decade or so.

...the last time I checked with Les he was adamant that Wolly serial numbers couldn't be decoded. Its been a while since we exchanged e-mails, so I'll bug him to see if he knows more than he used to....

Maybe Dan will weigh in. It would be interesting to see a serial number table developed. But right now it looks like there will only be a few rows, and 70 years of wollensak production!

[cowanw]

Sorry. I will stop reading over that thread if you prefer.
Although I still like Kerry's post #44

[Dan Fromm]

Garrett, I don't recall anything more from Les that was useful.

I'm afraid that the relationship between Wollensak lenses' serial numbers and dates of manufacture is one of those things that are not meant to be known. Same goes for Ilex lenses; B&L lenses, Klaus Schmitt's B&L list notwithstanding; and pre-CAMEROSITY Kodak lenses.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I was born ignorant and remain ignorant about many, many things.

Cheers,

Dan

[Lifeless]

A bit late, but if it adds to the data. Wollensak Series IIIA EX. W. A. f12.5 8x10 No 10642

[Lynn Jones]

I have a couple of them and they work well. RE: Raptar=tessar Velostigmat from WWII on = 3 element Cooke type.

Lynn

[onnect17]

I bought an old folding 8x10 to shoot vertical 4x10s and this lens came with the package. I can see some separation (or glue?) near the border in the front element. The shutter seems to be a lot newer and working 1/2 stop slow.
No plans to use it, so buyers are welcome.

[jcoldslabs]

Here's a coated example with a serial number in the 4xx,xxx range:



Jonathan

[lenser]

You may find a resource with Seth at cameraeccentric.com. If nothing else, his infor section has several complete Wollensak catalogs that will allow you to target your dates within a few years according to which catalog it appears in.

[goamules]

You may find a resource with Seth at cameraeccentric.com. If nothing else, his infor section has several complete Wollensak catalogs that will allow you to target your dates within a few years according to which catalog it appears in.

Unless they used notional (fake) numbers in their catalog drawings (up to the 40s the catalogs used plates, not "photos"). Would they have represented a real serial number, or a higher number to brag about production? If they used a real lens and serial number, and it was from recent production it would be helpful. But in the old days up until the 1930s, artwork in catalogs was often a rough approximation of what the actual lenses looked like. I wonder how much you could trust any serial number you could read in a catalog as being representative of that year?

[Dan Fromm]

lenser, have you tried what you recommended? I just took a look at a couple of the Wolly catalogs on cameraeccentric, couldn't read a single s/n. In addition, the latest catalog posted there is dated 1950. Please do the work and report back to us.

Oh, and by the way, your approach can't be used to date, for example, my Pro Raptars, which came to market after 1950.

Garrett, a s/n in a publication whose date is known sets an upper bound on the year the s/n was engraved. The s/n can't be newer than the publication. This may, doesn't have to be, useful.