big brass lens company info??

[cdholden]

Can you identify all of the optical elements and how they are grouped? Positive, negative, meniscus, doublet, etc...
If you can figure out what design it is, you may be able to find something comparable in old catalogs.

[Mark Sawyer]

I think you just have to love a lens engraved by "The Mullett Brothers".

[cdholden]

Indeed.
"Messrs Mullett" just doesn't have the same appeal.

[OldCrow]

Its a petzval cemented front and air spaced rear. it has 3.25 in elements in a rigid mount with a waterhouse slot and one stop still with it. I will get the focal length and speed in the morning.

I have not been able to find anything like it in any catalogue.

Also it seems the crown lens is also a petzval in a wollensak studio shutter. which stops down to a 1.56... yes it goes f 4 then next is f 1.56? I doubt it is that fast by any means. Also I found one lens that looked very much like this that was a crown optical 8x10 portrait petzval that had a soft focus rear element that you worked by turning the rear elements away from themselves. The other one was not in a studio shutter like this, so I am going to have to give this lens a try, and see what it can do.

But I think I may have stumbled into some pretty nice lenses.

[CCHarrison]

Mullett was a supply house and studio in Kansas City...Mainly active 1899-1920. The building at 518 Walnut Street was a photo supply house since 1870, but it doesnt appear the Mullett boys took over until turn of the century.


Picture of one of the owners....

and here is the building http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&qs...ed=0CB4Q8gEwAA


Dan

[OldCrow]

I found that same info out as well. Fred Mullett sold his stake in a hardware store in 1875 and opened the photo business in 1877 and they had three locations after 1881 when brother R.B. came aboard. Who was the at one point the treasurer for the national photography convention. They seemed to be the largest supplier for lenses in that area up into the 1920s and then they were gone. http://www.umkc.edu/whmckc/Scrapbook...tographers.pdf

None the less these lenses are interesting.

[OldCrow]

Well the mullet bros covers way more then a whole plate, 14 in focal length and comes in a hair over f/4.

Then the crown does indeed soft focus using the back element, which is very controllable and very nicely diffused. It comes in with a 12 in focal length and also right about f/4. Also to be clear this is not the Anastigmat series lens.

I am still healing up from back surgery so I am going to have to wait to post some images from these lenses.

So far on the ground glass they are both very nice. The mullet is outstanding, I am very eager to shoot some plates with it.

[CCHarrison]

More Mullett !!

[OldCrow]

This lens has me stumped for sure. It is the only "keeper" I have come across in some time. Just wish it had its hood. Need to find a good brass machinist to make one up.

So the shutter on the other gave up working smoothly on me after an hour or so. Guess it prefers to just stay open... which is not a bad thing.

[cdholden]

Mullett was a supply house and studio in Kansas City...Mainly active 1899-1920. The building at 518 Walnut Street was a photo supply house since 1870, but it doesnt appear the Mullett boys took over until turn of the century.

I saw reference to a Gatchel, Hyatt and Mullett partnership around 1880, selling in Louisville, KY. Since Hyatt was from St. Louis, and Mullett from Kansas City, it's quite possible this could be one of the brothers. I'll read further when I get more time.
I found this reference while looking up info about W.D. Gatchel. I was given a catalogue (copy, I believe) from 1888 yesterday. 168 pages of cameras, lenses, labware, paper, plates... the works!