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Thread: Black Painted Brass Lenses

  1. #1
    Foamer
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    South Dakota
    Posts
    2,430

    Black Painted Brass Lenses

    I've seen a few black painted brass lenses for sale from time to time, and was wondering when they might have been made? One was a simple RR--a Roman Talbot I think. Another was a pillbox/meniscus lens the seller was claiming was from pre 1850. I'm skeptical on that one. So, when were brass lenses painted black in the 19th century? Did that happen with pre-Civil War lenses (i.e. pre 1860s?)


    Kent in SD
    In contento ed allegria
    Notte e di vogliam passar!

  2. #2

    Re: Black Painted Brass Lenses

    I don't have any info on these, but the date info that sellers give is very often taken from patent numbers which aren't very useful for date of manufacture.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Denmark
    Posts
    6,246

    Re: Black Painted Brass Lenses

    It is very difficult to be sure about the originality of black enamel. Plain brass finishes did become "old fashioned" during the early 20th C but makers were very very different in the speed of inovation - some resisted for a long time. Romain Talbot, when he moved to Berlin, was one of the earliest with stylish black aplanats. Some of the more expensive studio lenses had their black enamel removed in recent times to give them a more vintage appearance. On the other hand, studios may have gotten their decades old lenses "renewed" by a thin coat of enamel - "Oh yes, we use the most modern lenses available".

  4. #4
    funkadelic
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Yadkinville, NC, USA
    Posts
    1,300

    Re: Black Painted Brass Lenses

    B&J did aftermarket painting and coating, but that was much later than the time frame you're talking about.

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