Hermagis

[carel l.]

100747Since yesterday the proud owner of this lens.Discovered a focal length ca.240mm.Registration No.16,325.
Who can tell me more about this gigant?
regards carel l.

[Steven Tribe]

According to Corrado d'Agostini's book, this is from 1876.
He illustrates serial number 16,784 which is a convertible version. Yours is very similarly in appearance (black band) to the ordinary version he shows with number 16,944. Just after the Franco-Prussian war!

[carel l.]

Yesterday the last episode of "the Killing 3 ".I.ll miss it.Now your reply to my question.The combination? Both Danish!
Thanks Steven for reply.I wish I had that book,still happy with that lens.Do you think its rare and may I say it is a"Petzvold "?

[Tom Sobota]

carel,
the Hermagis n.16944 shown in Corrado's book is a Petzval, so yours, which is very similar, is almost certainly a Petzval too.
Anyway the Hermagis, at least the ones which I had in my hands, are easy to dismount to see the lenses. But don't attempt this if you don't feel up to it!
The Petzval has two glued lenses in the front that look like a single lens, and two lenses in the back, separated by a metallic ring a few millimeters wide. You can see the structure here: http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Petzval_lens among other places.

Thousands of these lenses were made by many lensmakers during several decades, so "rare" they are usually not, but you have there a nice example of lens history. Enjoy it :-)

Tom

[alex from holland]

Here you can see how it looks on the inside: http://www.collodion-art.blogspot.nl/2013/06/inside-petzval-lens.html
Rare? No, but I have a weakness for Hermagis. You will love it.
They have beautiful engravings.