I have finally acquired a brass barrel lens (a Zeiss Apochromat Tessor, ca 1907) suitable for my old Anthony Normandie, and I am giving some thought to refinishing the brass. The camera, although a hundred years old, looks like it could have been made in the last 10 or 15 years (not refinished - just spent its life in dry Arizona!).
I am familiar with the issues regarding collectibility and patina, but the lens has to have some collectible value for this to be of any real concern. Some lacquering remains, some is gone. The lens was an Ebay purchase that was relisted twice (actually 3 times - each time it has gone down in value by 50%, hence it was a deal for me, but in my mind this speaks to its true value in the marketplace).
On the camera as it is, it looks just like any modern camera would look with an old ugly lens on it ... In other words, although the lens and camera are of comparable age, one has faired better than the other...
Making it pretty won't make it take better photos, but the combination will more closely represent this package as it would been used photographing, say, the Wright Bros,... (still boggles my mind that when this camera would have bought and people lined up in front of it, the Flyer still hadn't left the ground.)
Your thoughts on the aesthetics of this?...
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