My New Old 14" Commercial Ektar Low Serial number

[grahamcase]

Now that would be somthing. There is some chicken scratching on the box, I cant make out the letters after the 14" Lens. It could be a YK, maybe I am just wanting to see that

I'm not one to throw fuel on the fire, but you can look at Yousef Karsh's signature here:
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6744293

[grahamcase]

Here you can find a photo of Karsh's Commercial Ektar 14" (donated to the national science museum here in Canada) that was on his main camera. It's just 11 earlier in the production line than mine!

http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.c...ion/karsh5.cfm

[William Whitaker]

I think it was Uncle Earl's...

[akfreak]

Hey guys all seriousness aside, I think this was a Yousuf Karsh Lens, maybe a backup or something. Look at the focusing cloth. The sig looks exactly the same as what is on my box. This is getting really weird, or is it just me. He signed the orange cloth in with a white pen of some sort. Link to what I see from the Grahmamcase posted one

[grahamcase]

EXCELLENT find and price on that lens if it was a Karsh lens, even a back-up lens. You should get it appraised and/or have someone try to verify the signature. From (very) amateur eyes, I would say you have yourself a Karsh lens. Lucky duck

I definitely think it's worth exploring more, even if it turns out not to be his.

[akfreak]

EXCELLENT find and price on that lens if it was a Karsh lens, even a back-up lens. You should get it appraised and/or have someone try to verify the signature. From (very) amateur eyes, I would say you have yourself a Karsh lens. Lucky duck

I definitely think it's worth exploring more, even if it turns out not to be his.

Who would I take it to to verify somthing like this?

[grahamcase]

National Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa, Canada would be my first guess, since they have all of Karsh's camera equipment (he donated it to them when he retired and moved to Boston).

[grahamcase]

Alternatively you can call them or email them and ask them questions and see where that gets you:

http://www.sciencetech.technomuses.c...itus/index.cfm

[Shen45]

Probably not worth anything without the retaining ring.

[akfreak]

Probably not worth anything without the retaining ring.

OK well, I will just have to donate it to goodwill, unless any of you guys want it, as stated it's misssing the flange!