"Hyatt's" lens, brass and very old

[Gary L. Quay]

I just bought a brass barrell lens. It's very old, possibly from the late 1800's. I can't find any info on it on anywhere on the Internet. I did find a photo shop in St. Louis that manufactured it's own cameras until somewhere in the 1930's, owned by someone named Hyatt. The name is a Hyatt's Rapid lens, and it has no focal length on it, but it says 6 1/2 x 8 1/2 on the front. Does anyone know anything about these lenses?

Thanks!
--Gary

[Toyon]

It would be useful if you could post a picture. Hyatt's was a large photographic distributor in St. Louis back when it was an important American city.

As dealers, they sold lenses bearing their house name, that they did not manufacture them, much like Sears sells tires they do not make. Among lensmakers who rebadged lenses, the most prominent are Bausch and Lomb, Wollensak and the French firms, Clement and Gilmer and Laverne. Usually one can guess by looking at the lens design.

[Jim Galli]

Toyon is spot on. Need pictures. Rapid is lingo usually associated with Rapid Rectilinear designs which weren't really very rapid compared to the petzval's they replaced.

[Toyon]

As Jim notes, rectilinear's are not so fast, but they are great for portraits, and good for landscapes - provided they were designed for a larger format than you are using - that way you get the sharp, sweet spot in the center portion of the lens. Stopping down can do much the same thing.

[wfwhitaker]

I have a Hyatt Rapid 6 1/2 x 8 1/2 lens which is marked f/5. I suspect that it is a rebranded Wollensak Vesta. Does yours have any aperture markings?

[Ole Tjugen]

... Rapid is lingo usually associated with Rapid Rectilinear designs which weren't really very rapid compared to the petzval's they replaced.

Rapid Rectilinears didn't replace Petzvals. They replaced Rectilinears - AKA Periskops. Periskops are no faster than f:11, so the RR's are "Rapid" compared to those.

[Gary L. Quay]

I just noticed that it does, in fact, say "H.A. Hyatt Supply Co., St. Louis" just in front of the aperture ring. I didn't have the lens with me when I asked the question. So, that answers one question. Here's a picture.

[Jim Galli]

That is a 12" Petzval f5 made by Wollensak and identical to their Series A.

[Jan Pedersen]

Very nice lenses, i have it's small and it's larger brothers, 10" and 14" although the 10" is dressed as a Conley.
Have fun.

[Gary L. Quay]

Interesting. I'd like to thanks everyone for the info. Now, maybe I can find a retaining ring for it. I'm really anxious to use it.

--Gary L. Quay