What is a planetograph lens

[Wenbiao Liang]

I have a chance to buy this lens, but I could not find any info on the web, maybe it was mis-spelled by the seller?

Thanks!
Wenbiao

[Ernest Purdum]

The spelling is "Planatograph". This was Bausch & Lomb's tradename for the Rapid Rectilinear or Aplanat type. It came in at least four sizes: 6", 8", 11" and 13". These sizes were rated to cover 4X5, 5X7, 6 1/2"X8 1/2" and 8"X10" respectively. The back cell could be used by itself. The listing I have shows them in the B&L "Auto shutter.

[Wenbiao Liang]

Thanks Ernest!

The seller did tell me that it is a 8x10 lens.

[Wenbiao Liang]

Ernest,
The lens arrived. Actually, it is two element/groups and one barrell. The groups are in brass, typical for lens of that age, both groups are identical I think, with 2 cemented elements each, the glass is about 1 1/2" in diameter, kind of big.

The barrell is kind of strange, it is not brass, but silver and chrome in color, with "8 x 10 PLANATOGRAPH" written on it. The strange thing about the barrell is: it has threads only on one side, where I can screw on both groups in, one at at a time.

The other side of the barrell has a bigger diameter, and with male threads, so I cannot put the 2 groups together to form a complete lens. And there is no iris and no slot in barrell for water house stops.

My questions are:
1. what are this lens for?
2. if I can find a shutter to fit these elements in, how do I determine the spacing between the groups?

Thanks!
Wenbiao

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Wenbiao,

"The strange thing about the barrell is: it has threads only on one side, where I can screw on both groups in, one at at a time."

That's not a barrel, it's the adapter for the shutter. There would be 2, front and rear. Now to find the right sized Volute shutter.

Have fun with it.