Very small Darlot Petzval lens

[Steven Tribe]

I think this is for making wet plate inside the pendant.

Sorry, I think you are absolutely right. I (UK english speaking) always call hanging pendants with children's hair, photos of children (Even deceased!) or sweethearts, Lockets - so I didn't make the connection. Lockets were as important part of the Victorian scene as fob watches and there must have been enough demand for them to have a set-up smaller than the usual CdeV camera/lens combo.

[Duyfam]

@Steven Tribe: When looking at the body, I can see the marks showing that it has been used. They are fine and thin parallel lines from using rank and pinion to focus.

@Goamules: There are quite a lot of lens vignettes on the full frame camera. I have an no-name petzval lens for full frame camera (possibly the one to go with Dubroni) 75mm, very sharp. Here are my little petzval collection: A.Gaudin 120mm, No name: 75mm and Darlot lens.

[CCHarrison]

Duyfam - you sure that middle lens is a petzval ? That sliding barrel mechanism is commonly found on Darlot RR lenses. On other hand,your lenshood is longer than found on RR lenses...interesting

[Duyfam]

CCHarrison - In my knowledge Darlot Hemispherical base on RR type but Dubroni lens (are body in brass the same shape but comes with longer hood) use the petzval formula. Here is my lens with the small air space between the rear elements.

[Two23]

Luckily for you I've been backpacking up in Canada for the past several weeks and did not see this. My shortest Petzval is FL=75mm. It too has R&P focus. I had it mounted in Nikon F and use it on a D800E. Also have a c.1851 CC Harrison 5 in., atiny 90mm rectilinear with Waterhouse stops, 50mm Darlot achromatic doublet with rotary stop--all put into Nikon F by SK Grimes.


Kent in SD

[Duyfam]

@Two23: thank you!
I just found the Smallest Daguerreotype Camera in the World and the same my petzval lens at this link: http://auction-team.de/new_highlight...11/ph/004.html

[jaytral]

[Steven Tribe]

@Two23: thank you!
I just found the Smallest Daguerreotype Camera in the World and the same my petzval lens at this link: http://auction-team.de/new_highlight...11/ph/004.html

I would love to believe this, but:

All Darlot lenses are well past the mercury era (say 1862).
THe projection lenses are made in the later Darlot period where they used the crossed AD trademark, which, I think, is the case with your lens?
The serial number 11 is more likely size II or series II (2). Very early Darlot lenses have no serial number.
Making period sliding box cameras was a popular activity in late Victorian times.

[Two23]

I would love to believe this, but:

All Darlot lenses are well past the mercury era (say 1862).
THe projection lenses are made in the later Darlot period where they used the crossed AD trademark, which, I think, is the case with your lens?
The serial number 11 is more likely size II or series II (2). Very early Darlot lenses have no serial number.
Making period sliding box cameras was a popular activity in late Victorian times.

I was having trouble figuring that out also, with an additional question. Why would a Dag photographer go to all the trouble for such a small output? Would there be enough money to be made from that? I do remember that Victorians had a big interest in miniatures, and that makes more sense. Darlot was still in business in the 1890s too, but not during the Dag era. The little camera is cool, but no way I'd go $8,000 for it.


Kent in SD

[Bernhardas]

I cant find the link or any reference right now, but some time ago i saw pictures and a description of an old "id" camera. A wooden large format with 8 tiny lenses on the front board. It was supposed to be used for mass id production. For each picture only one lens was used, and after developing you had 8 smaller id pictures. I dimly remember that it was an English camera and that the company in question seemed to have produced cameras with different number of lenses at the time.