Dating 24" Darlot Pill Box and your thoughts about it

**Jon Wilson** · 9-May-2018, 20:15

I acquired this Darlot Pill Box a while ago and recently took it apart.
Looking to learn more about it. Any clue when it was made and your thoughts. I believe it is a 24" lens which has had its rack and pinion removed and a waterhouse slot installed. Thanks.

**Jon Wilson** · 9-May-2018, 20:17

More pictures

**Jon Wilson** · 9-May-2018, 20:19

even more pictures

**Steven Tribe** · 10-May-2018, 00:45

Dare I say Frankenstein?

There are features which suggest this is a (very useful!) made up piece from two barrels. The raised area on the wider barrel looks like it covers the focussing track section and there are traces of track inside. The WHS stop in the pillbox comes from a much small lens barrel, I think, that started its life as a smaller lens (after 1858).

The cap looks original and making this- and the threads - would require professional skills. French landscape lenses with sleeves do exist, but they are uncommon. Darlot made landscape lenses, but his main efforts (again it must be after around 1862) were with varieties of Petzvals. The other 1850s and 1860s makers made lots more large landscape lenses - often without their name on the brass.

Considering the skill which went into covering the focussing track, I think you might consider that this is a cut down old Petzval lens, where the real cell is lost/damaged and the front achromat has been mounted in the rear. The is nothing odious about this Petzval achromat is identical to the Landscape achromat. I have a Lerebours Petzval and a Landscape lens of the same period and the achromats used on these two are completely identical. In fact, the lens cells can also be swapped between the two lenses.

The fact that the covered track covers almost the full length of the barrel suggests a previous life as a Petzval. I think I can see solder around the cap inside where there is usually a cap thread?

**Jim Fitzgerald** · 10-May-2018, 02:59

Here is mine. The focal length is about 12-13". The lens is engraved Darlot and has one washer stop and the original brass cap which is marked AD on the inside. The lens has the same Darlot markings and is about 2 3/8" in diameter.

**Steven Tribe** · 10-May-2018, 05:45

Jon, what is the diameter of your lens - around 81mm perhaps? This is an almost standard diameter for a 10-12" French Petzval. I have a pill box landscape, in the sleeveless version which is also about 20". And the second is the early Hermagis convertible in landscape mode (The flange thread is at the base of the lens hood) which has a 30" focal length.

**Jon Wilson** · 10-May-2018, 17:34

Hi Steve,
The lens is approximately 93.472 mm or 3.68 inches in diameter. The waterhouse slot has a "pocket" or "sleeve" the for the aperture stop to be held in place. So could use a post-it paper to construct a small aperture opening.

**Mark Sawyer** · 10-May-2018, 18:39

Originally Posted by Steven Tribe

Dare I say Frankenstein?

I tend to agree with Steven; I've never seen that barrel configuration before. The front is designed for washer stops, so cutting it for Waterhouse stops makes no sense. BTW, the longest Darlot Landscape Lense I've ever seen listed is a 20-inch. Here's mine, a 20-inch Jamin Darlot.

**Jon Wilson** · 10-May-2018, 19:37

I agree it is a professional cobble. I may not have calculated its FL correctly. Need to get it on lensboard and try it out. Attached more pics for analysis....I appreciate everyone's input.