Taylor Hubson Cooke 27" Lens

[Dwayne Ealy]

I have Taylor-Hudson Cooke 27 inch, Portrait Anastigmat lens (over 50 lbs). Five stops of soft focus. I obtained it from a New Mexico photographer that opened his studio in 1907. He used it on a double bellows 1114 studio camera that I also have. He said that he had the lens specially made where he could do head and shoulder 1114 contact prints. He was very old and I do not know if that was true; but, I can not find the lens in any Taylor documentation ... 18" is the longest which I also have and it looks very small next to the 27" lens.

Does anyone have any info on this lens ... History, value, etc.?

Thank you!
dwayne@imagesbydwayne.com

[Gene McCluney]

This is very cool. Can you post a photo of it?

[Hugo Zhang]

Over 50 Ibs. Wow!!! I can't imagine what type of front standard of 11x14 can handle that weight.

[Ole Tjugen]

I suppose you mount the camera on the back of the lens, rather than the lens on the camera?

[Walter Calahan]

Sounds like my 24" Kodak Aero-Ektar f/6.0 lens, but bigger. Post a snap of that puppy!

[Jim Galli]

WOW! My new hero. Pix please! Sorry, I don't have any new info for you either. The story sounds beliveable enough. 55" bellows just to get a 1:1 head on 11X14, holy cow! Truly, dinosaurs once roamed free.

[Pete Watkins]

Try looking for Taylor Hobson. The historian there (the company still exist in Leicestershire, U.K.) has a superb reputation for being very helpful. Check their website.
Best wishes,
Pete.

[Ash]

Hubson? Hudson??

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

Great find.

27" is awful long for an 11x14 portrait lens, particularly a Cooke Anastigmat (read: triplet design, not Petzval or rapid rectilinear). For the Cooke portrait lenses 20" was the standard FL for 12x15, so I would guess that yours was designed for something much larger, probably 16x20.

I am sure we could provide more information if you could let us know exactly what is engraved on the barrel. And of course a picture for us to drool over.

[Jim Galli]

Great find.

27" is awful long for an 11x14 portrait lens, particularly a Cooke Anastigmat (read: triplet design, not Petzval or rapid rectilinear). For the Cooke portrait lenses 20" was the standard FL for 12x15, so I would guess that yours was designed for something much larger, probably 16x20.

I am sure we could provide more information if you could let us know exactly what is engraved on the barrel. And of course a picture for us to drool over.

27" Cooke, meet Mr. 20X24 Polaroid.