Voigtlander & Sohn No. 9, ca. 1875

[tuant]

I have to add we haven't made any plates with that lens yet. It was just too big. You will need to build a 40" camera at least with a 16" lens board with a stand just for the lens. It is a heavy lens, but well built like all early Voigtlanders. They didn't cut back on copper. That's why the Nazis were looking for these in people's basements when Germany was short on copper during WWII

Tuant

[codymobley]

Unfortunately the lens is not yet in my hands. It is at the house of my friend that informed me of its existence. I paypal'd him the funds and he picked it up for me. The second photo in the above series is the only dimensions I had to go off of for the 6.5" measurement. It may be closer to 6.75".

Thank you for the info so far!

[codymobley]

Glass looked good, but dusty.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Cost 890 usd in 1890.

If my calculation is correct, that is $21,598.50 in 2016 USD. Insane! I would think there would be a US Government mark on the box. Who else could afford it? (And oil was not yet a real big deal in Texas back then.)

[anachromatic]

Congratulations!!
Incredible lens and incredible condition too!
I think it's a Petzval #9. Focal lenght will be around 26 inches.
Many of this kind of lenses were mounted on astronomical telescopes. Maybe you can find some conection with the name and address printed on the wooden box.

[Mark Sawyer]

Yup, looks like a Euryscop Series IV No. 9! Congratulations, and my sympathies for now needing a mammoth plate camera to go with it!

[goamules]

That's very rare, it is the biggest one I've ever seen.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

This just goes to show all of us that these lenses are still out there. How many have been swept up in tornados and sent all over the south?

[Steven Tribe]

If it is the no. 9 Petzval, it is as anachromatique describes.

Looking at the photos once more, I think this is the famous sechszoller (six-incher) Petzval which is the same as no.9 Petzval. One sold at auction (no. 1000!) was 47cm long and weighed 14.3 kilos. There is a separation of the barrel by the flange brass and a system for central stops there.

The Front lens would be 16.5cm across and it covers just 18.5 x 18.5 inches.

[anachromatic]

If it is the no. 9 Petzval, it is as anachromatique describes.

Looking at the photos once more, I think this is the famous sechszoller (six-incher) Petzval which is the same as no.9 Petzval. One sold at auction (no. 1000!) was 47cm long and weighed 14.3 kilos. There is a separation of the barrel by the flange brass and a system for central stops there.

The Front lens would be 16.5cm across and it covers just 18.5 x 18.5 inches.

Probably the same model than that one sold in auction years ago...same size and same look. But the other one was the #10.000 and was until 1945 at the Voigtlander Museum in Braunschweig....and near of the other monster like this, the lens #21892(also a Petzval design)