Early landscape lens by L. Puech?

[Mark Sawyer]

I just bought this lens:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-Early-Brass-Landscape-Lens-Beauty-/261190628807?nma=true&si=5vOvvu8G%252FNnusS5IXjcbcVluETc%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557#ht_215wt_917

I probably paid too much, but I've been looking for a big early landscape lens for quite a while. Does anyone have any information about the maker, L. Puech of Place de la Madeleine 21 Paris? I've found passing mentions of him as far back as 1851 and '52 in The Chemist, again in 1867 in the British Journal of Photography, and as a distributer of Dallmeyer lenses through the 1880's. Can anyone tell me anything more about L. Puech or the lens?

Also, there's a stylized "AB" logo inside the lenscap (see below) that looks familiar, but I can't place it. Anyone?

It's a longshot, but I thought I'd ask. Thanks muchly!

[goamules]

You got it! Hope you like it.

[Steven Tribe]

I have seen and googled on this lens before - just can't remember in what connection - probably an earlier e**y listing last year. Even the AB!
My conclusion was he was a dealer (very exclusive Parisian address) who bought in and engraved very well. He is certainly not a lens maker.
You found Sean's note from some years back on another site?


"Ellen,

I have the advantage of access to the Dallmeyer archive. The lens number is show in the ebay pictures. No.32722

[attachment 252 3D.jpg]

Sold to Puech on the March 28th. 1883
Regards,

Sean

So Dallmeyer didn't have to write the address, just like with Anthony.

I am afraid I thought it from this era (1880's) because of the presence of a serial number - but it is a good sized landscape/portrait lens.

[Mark Sawyer]

I have seen and googled on this lens before - just can't remember in what connection - probably an earlier e**y listing last year. Even the AB! My conclusion was he was a dealer (very exclusive Parisian address) who bought in and engraved very well. He is certainly not a lens maker.

You found Sean's note from some years back on another site?

So Dallmeyer didn't have to write the address, just like with Anthony.

I am afraid I thought it from this era (1880's) because of the presence of a serial number - but it is a good sized landscape/portrait lens.

Hi, Steven ~

Yes, it was listed a few times before, first for $2500, then $2,000, then this time around. Those are the ones I know of... Very early on (1840-1860's), there were a lot of very small, pretty obscure lens-makers, (often telescope and microscope makers and opticians), and some who bought just the elements to mount themselves. L. Pouch could have been either of those, or it could be a re-engraved something else. Garrett sent me a picture of a very early, very similar Lerebours et Secretan lens, so it could be Puech was a retailer who engraved his name on other makers' lenses. He was a retailer of Dallmeyer lenses by 1867 through at least 1889, but I think this is quite a bit earlier. But I could be wrong...

I did see Sean's note, and an ad by Eddie selling a Puech Petzval on this forum. That and a few brief mentions in old journals is all I've come up with. I've googled all the regular places, so now I'm asking the Ususal Suspects... the gang here! :)

[Steven Tribe]

It does look a lot like the various generations of Lerebours' landscape lenses in Corrado's book!
But also very much like an anon. lens he shows.

[Mark Sawyer]

Hmmmm... I wonder if that "anonymous" lens is a Lerebours waiting to be engraved by a reseller. I don't know if Lerebours did that or not, but a few other lens-makers did. Interesting... Thanks, Steven!

I ran across a few more Lerebours et Secretan lenses looking a lot like the Puech (and the lens in Corrado's book); here are a couple: