Cooke Portrait Lens Serial Numbers

[peter brooks]

71780, a Series II 10.5 inch f4.5 is on UK / European ebay at the moment (from France). Very similar to mine but it has the normal TTH engraving (mine doesn't - any ideas? - see my separate thread), and the aperture numbers go in the opposite direction!

[karl french]

Thanks for those numbers. That's the earliest knuckler on my list so far.

Peter, it's hard to say what the story is with the no engraving thing with your lens barrel. There are a lot of minor variations on the lenses through the production run. Sort of like why/when did the II.B. vs IIB labeling change?

[Amedeus]

I just picked up a similar age Series II 10.5" f4.5 with serial 70403.

No graduations on the Soft/Sharp scale but the barrel turns well 1.5 turns between stops, different design than my other no-knucklers on the mechanical front.

Cheers

71780, a Series II 10.5 inch f4.5 is on UK / European ebay at the moment (from France). Very similar to mine but it has the normal TTH engraving (mine doesn't - any ideas? - see my separate thread), and the aperture numbers go in the opposite direction!

[Amedeus]

Cooke IIA, 12.5", f3.5, serial 97957, no-knuckler and soft focus mechanism is of the push/pull variety

Cheers,

[fabphoto73]

Early Cooke Portrait Series II 8 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches Eq. Focus 13 inches Serial No. 15025 'unscrew three turns for sharpest definition' (rear element)

[karl french]

Great. Thanks. Didn't have 15025 and I noted that 97957 is a push/pull lens. Push/pull seems to be one of the more uncommon variations of these lenses considering how infrequently they are seen on the market. Lots of turn the rear element, rotate barrel and knucklers out there.

[Photoplasia]

Just acquired this lens - Cooke Anastigmat Lens 8x10 inches f5.6 No. 18921 13 inch Series IV

[Amedeus]

Great. Thanks. Didn't have 15025 and I noted that 97957 is a push/pull lens. Push/pull seems to be one of the more uncommon variations of these lenses considering how infrequently they are seen on the market. Lots of turn the rear element, rotate barrel and knucklers out there.

I should have noted for 97957, push-pull for soft/sharp respectively and rotate the barrel for aperture ... the first one ever I see that way.

Rudi

[Marco Ferrarini]

Thank you for starting this post. I've been trying to figure out what I have here for some time. There is no series designation nor focal length indicated but I would guess around 13" from projecting a window image against the opposite wall. F4.5 is the widest aperture. The soft focus adjustment is at the rear, two arrows and "unscrew three turns for sharpest definition" very faintly engraved (must be a chore to keep detaching the lens from the camera to achieve the desired definition). On the barrel is engraved "Cooke Portrait Lens H D Taylor's patents, May 28 1895 Sept 22 1896, Taylor Taylor & Hobson Ltd, New York Leicester & London, No 13647.
What's the vintage of this beast?

[peter brooks]

120574 is on your list already but is not noted as being a knuckler - it is a knuckler, it's on UK / Europe ebay at the moment on sale from Germany.

(Unless someone has added the knuckles of course, note that the seller says 'Everybody knows the Knuckler version of this lens with its skyrocketing prices on the market' Only joking - I think...)