Your Oldest Lens

[goamules]

[QUOTE=Geoffrey_5995;840322...

I have a few questions that hopefully some forum members can answer. First, the Lewis lens I have with the serial number 282 I'm assuming was from the early period before being purchased by Harrison & Gardner but perhaps it was manufactured after the sale by Lewis in NYC in 1853 or there after. The 282 Lewis has a radial focus but the other Lewis with a later serial# has a tangential which is odd because I would think the earlier one would have the tangential after the European design like Voigtlander that made the earliest camera lenses. So is the 282 Lewis from the early 1840's which would be my guess.

I also have a Harrison & Gardner but I don't know if the this Harrison is the same as Charles .C. Harrison, known as C.C. Harrison the Daguerreotypist, lens maker and co-inventor of the Harrison & Schnitzer Globe lens of 1962.
...[/QUOTE]

Looking into the dates a little more, there is no evidence Lewis was making cameras or certainly not lenses very long before the Nov, 1851 Patent of their camera, and opening their New Windsor, NY factory. At their earlier Chatham Street address they were probably just selling other Daguerriean supplies, like clad silver plates and chemicals. Their cameras were made in 1851 through May 1852 when they sold to Harrison & Gardner, no relation to CC Harrison (Dec 1852, Humphrey's Journal). During those few months they were in high production, and their new cameras were mentioned in several trade periodicals that year for the first time. So I'd say your lens is 1851-1852. After they sold the factory, the Lewis company was back at a new 63 Elisabeth street address in 1856-1857

[Geoffrey_5995]

My oldest is a CCH 'fat focus' circa 1853. Harrison also made some tangential drives (s/n in to, or at least up to the mid hundreds), some square based drives (early 1,000's), round bases, small knobs on the drives... Quite a few variations, so I am not surprised that Lewis made some rack in pinion drive lenses later on. Voigtlander also made radial drives very early on, and some other French manufactures copied them much later... plenty of variety, really.

I also have a Palmer & Longking, s/n 931. I seriously don't know, but maybe Dan can supply some input: I believe that P&L and Lewis may have only sold lenses mounted on their cameras. IOW that they were rebranded lenses not sold with their engravings unless one bought one of their cameras. That is pure speculation, mind you, and I would like to find out if I am wrong or not.

P&L is said to have made 200 cameras a year, from about 1853 to 1859 or so... About 1,400 total. The latest s/n I have seen was around 1300 or so, which seems to support that. In any case, there are precious few of them in comparison to CCH or HBH who made around 11,000 each. What is interesting is that they never changed their design; they only produced Daguerreian cameras and simply folded instead of adapting to the times. That's why their name is so intimately associated with the Daguerreian era.

Hi Paul, Interesting information and history. I forgot to mention the Willards, Useners, Chapmans and Perrys I have and need to start researching these lenses. I have George Chapman but not Levi.

The other W. & W.H. Lewis I have is serial# 697.

I'm still interested in learning if the Harrison of Harrison & Gardner is C.C. Harrison. Couldn't find any information on this connection. BTW, the Harrison & Gardner I have has no serial# and never had one. It also has a square focus mount and not the usual round ones found on most radial drive early American lenses.

Geoff

[Petzval Paul]

I have seen square drives on HBH (the one that sold with a s/n 80, which should put it at 1853), CCH's from around 1852 or so, and early P&L's which should be about 1853 or thereabouts. For that reason I am inclined to believe that a square mount should put a lens at around 1852/53. That would place the Harrison & Gardner right were it should be, historically, FWIW.

[goamules]

As far as was CC Harrison the same person who formed Gardner, Harrison and Co., I'm seeing conflicting answers. Humphrey's Journal 1852 Vol. IV no. 17 is quoted as saying it was not the same person. But Craig's Daguerriean Registry (recent researcher) says it was the same person.

[Geoffrey_5995]

As far as was CC Harrison the same person who formed Gardner, Harrison and Co., I'm seeing conflicting answers. Humphrey's Journal 1852 Vol. IV no. 17 is quoted as saying it was not the same person. But Craig's Daguerriean Registry (recent researcher) says it was the same person.

I know that CC Harrison was also a Daguerreotypist so it makes sense that he would appear in Craig's registry but I would like to find out definitively. From my understanding, CC first made lenses for himself and then gain a reputation for his lenses from his own use. He then started making them fr other/ It doesn't make sense that he would have partnered to start making lenses but then I've been wrong lots of times. I would like to nail this down. Geoff

[CCHarrison]

Gardner, Harrison and Co. was a Newark NJ firm specializing in iron and iron works. They supplied the Lewis firm with raw materials. Lewis and son went bankrupt in 1852 and GH&Co. was one of their largest creditors. Hence, GH&Co took ownership of Lewis' inventory. In 1853, Palmer and Longking took control of the Lewis inventory from GH&Co. If you have a GH&Co. lens it can be dated precisely to 1852 or 53. P&L Lenses date to 1853 to about 1858.

Its a very complicated history - I do know more and have documents to support what I am stating, but am writing a research piece on this whole story. CC Harrison is not related to the firm of G,H&Co.

Best
Dan

[Petzval Paul]

IIRC, CC Harrison was Henry Fitz's foreman so he knew all about grinding lenses, that's for sure. Fitz was known for doing finishing work himself at his factory (and not leading much of a social life) but certainly CC learned all he needed to in order to make great lenses.

[goamules]

Gardner, Harrison and Co. was a Newark NJ firm specializing in iron and iron works. They supplied the Lewis firm with raw materials. Lewis and son went bankrupt in 1852 and GH&Co. was one of their largest creditors. Hence, GH&Co took ownership of Lewis' inventory. In 1853, Palmer and Longking took control of the Lewis inventory from GH&Co. If you have a GH&Co. lens it can be dated precisely to 1852 or 53. P&L Lenses date to 1853 to about 1858.

Its a very complicated history - I do know more and have documents to support what I am stating, but am writing a research piece on this whole story. CC Harrison is not related to the firm of G,H&Co.

Best
Dan

I can't wait to read it Dan! To me, the brief period of the first generation or American portrait lens manufacturers is a fascinating enigma. Why did they all go out of business before the Civil War? Most of them anyway. They're excellent lenses.

[CCHarrison]

Hi Garrett,

One major reason was the economy in the late 1850's including the "Panic of 1857."

Dan

[Geoffrey_5995]

Gardner, Harrison and Co. was a Newark NJ firm specializing in iron and iron works. They supplied the Lewis firm with raw materials. Lewis and son went bankrupt in 1852 and GH&Co. was one of their largest creditors. Hence, GH&Co took ownership of Lewis' inventory. In 1853, Palmer and Longking took control of the Lewis inventory from GH&Co. If you have a GH&Co. lens it can be dated precisely to 1852 or 53. P&L Lenses date to 1853 to about 1858.

Its a very complicated history - I do know more and have documents to support what I am stating, but am writing a research piece on this whole story. CC Harrison is not related to the firm of G,H&Co.

Best
Dan

Dan, This is very informative and helpful. I'm looking forward to reading your research piece. But what about the Lewis #282? Is it pre-GH&Co. or after? Geoff