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embree photo
11-Dec-2013, 16:44
My father (Glenn Embree) was a commercial photographer in Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1980s. I have been going through his photo equipment and found several items of interest including a Dallmeyer 8D portrait lens (Number 30519) and shutter box. Is the number a serial number, patent number, model number or what? The lens is 6.5" in diameter and ~12" long with an additional 3" long/8" diameter hood. From my on line research it should be an f6. It has a slit apparently used for Waterhouse stops, as it has no markings for an iris. Therefore I am guessing that it probably dates back to the 1850-1870 period. Is that a reasonable conclusion?

The shutter box is 12" x 12" and 10" deep. It contains a three blade shutter (Packard?) and has a 7.5" square lens board with 6" opening. I have attached photos of the lens and shutter. For reference, I have also attached a photo of the camera the lens was attached to in the late 1940s - early 1950s when my father used it.

I am interested in anything you can tell me about this lens and shutter and any corrections to the information above

Thanks.

pierre506
11-Dec-2013, 17:42
Treasure & expensive finding ~

jodyake
11-Dec-2013, 22:44
thats a very rare and awesome lens. if you give the serial number we can find the production date.

Steven Tribe
12-Dec-2013, 01:50
This the largest D lens available for general sale. Focal length is 30". Dallmeyer describe it as being for portraits up to 22x20" or for views up to 25x21".
It was made after the period you suggest - I don't have the Dallmeyer serial numbers in front of me.
It is not a common lens for Studio use as the A and B series are a lot faster and will manage the more usual formats (up to 8x10") . He must have specialized in very large negatives!
Anything with a diameter of 6" or more must be considered a "trophy" lens with implicit value! It is a bit hard to imagine who will be able to use it? It will require a large studio, plenty of lighting (see your photo!) and solid camera/stand set. Your studio set appears to show a bipost stand which is over 3 meters tall!
It is from 1880.

anachromatic
12-Dec-2013, 02:06
If 30519 is the serial number, your lens was sold in November 1882.

brandon13
12-Dec-2013, 13:14
there are few people out there who are making 16x20 and larger wet plates. They would probably love to shoot this lens. Not me personally. Although I am on a quest for the smaller 6d or 5d for 11x14 inch plates.

http://antiquecameras.net/softfocuslenses.html

brandon13
12-Dec-2013, 13:47
Ballpark only. One 8d in the last couple years.

http://antiquecameras.net/softfocuslenssales.html

Monty McCutchen
12-Dec-2013, 16:57
I shoot a Dallmeyer 8D for my 20 x 24 Wetplate work. I use it mainly for Still Life and Portrait work (full body, 3/4 and the occasional head and shoulders). I have also used it for some landscape work, but less so. Due to bellows extension I do not use it for one to one portrait work. I use smaller focal length lenses for those. It is an incredible lens and I waited many years to find one. Yours is a very nice one indeed. I know Alex had been looking for one and quite frankly I hope he finds one as I believe him to be arguably the finest modern practitioner of wet plate in the world today, and I would love to see his work with such a wonderful lens. He is consistently producing enviable work. I still believe his portrait of Redmond O'Hanlon is a work of genius.

I have digitized very few of my large plates due to the cost it takes to have someone competent (you can read into that that I am not competent at digital reproductions) shoot them digitally so I will apologize for reposting images I have posted before but I like putting examples of work into threads that apply for search purposes. I hope I don't offend by doing so.

All 20 x 24 wetplate, done with the Dallmeyer 8D.

brandon13
12-Dec-2013, 20:01
Monty. It looks like you found a really nice lens for 20x24

Taija71A
12-Dec-2013, 20:36
This the largest D lens available for general sale. Focal length is 30"...

Question/Clarification:

Is this Lens (Dallmeyer 8D)... 30" in F.L. or perhaps even longer (37" in F.L. ... With a 'back focus' of 30")?


http://antiquecameras.net/softfocuslenses.html
http://www.cwreenactors.com/phorum/read.php?1,6937
http://www.earlyphotography.co.uk/site/entry_L88.html

_______



... I know Alex had been looking for one and quite frankly I hope he finds one as I believe him to be arguably the finest modern practitioner of wet plate in the world today, and I would love to see his work with such a wonderful lens. He is consistently producing enviable work. I still believe his portrait of Redmond O'Hanlon is a work of genius...


http://collodion-art.blogspot.ca/2013/03/redmond-ohanlon.html

+1 :D

Thank-you,

-Tim.
________

Emil Schildt
13-Dec-2013, 02:30
All 20 x 24 wetplate, done with the Dallmeyer 8D.

I like the last one! Color wet plate... ;)

But your images do sing!

alex from holland
13-Dec-2013, 04:18
Hallo Montey,

Thank you for your kind words. To much credits....
I remember the second picture. That's awesome. Perfect use of such a nice lens.

I really hope to find such a lens One day. It's my "wet" dream...;)

Alex

Steven Tribe
13-Dec-2013, 05:18
Just to suggest to the OP that Alex would indeed be the ideal recipient of this lens!

brandon13
14-Dec-2013, 16:35
Just to suggest to the OP that Alex would indeed be the ideal recipient of this lens!

European fraternty.

Steven Tribe
15-Dec-2013, 03:14
Not really!

I have no elusions that anything I write has any influence on where this 8D ends. I think it is quite important that it gets used rather than "accumulated " into a collection of interesting photographic bygones. I know that Alex is a active, communicating photographer with interests in both extreme size and alternative processes. He certainly bothered to help me when I was searching for the distance between the cell of a Dallmeyer 3B, just I am on the "lookout" for some extreme ( 30x40cm +) travel cameras for him! These private contacts are a super bonus from LFPF but I aware that there are many other who could be just as deserving as Alex. Perhaps I should have written that - Alex would be A deserving recipient

alex from holland
15-Dec-2013, 03:51
Thanks everyone for the support.
There are many very good wet platers all over the world and I am sure that the lens would be in very good hands of some of them.
As Steven said, it would be nice if this lens is going to be used again for what is made for: making pictures.
I am sure this has nothing to do with fraternity (so be honest, I had to look up the word in a dictionary......LOL)
But I am also sure Brandon didn't meant this in a negative way. :)

In the past years I have seen so many beautiful collections of cameras and lenses in musea.
They are great to look at but I really feel pain because they will never be used anymore.

CCHarrison
15-Dec-2013, 05:25
If the OP wants to sell and this forum points him to a potential buyer (Alex) what's wrong with that ?

I'll throw a US based vote for Alex too. He helped me illustrate my upcoming Petzval lens article and I am very appreciative.

Many thanks, Alex.

Dan

goamules
15-Dec-2013, 06:08
Speaking of museums, for 4 years I've been talking to a guy in the Eastern US who has a 7D. His dad started a studio a long time a ago, then his son ran it for a lifetime. He never shot the 7D, but had it as window dressing for decades. I became friends with him, and once or twice a year would ask if he'd sell the 7D to me, because I would use it to take wetplates and such. He couldn't decide....for years and years. I finally called him around Thanksgiving trying to help another wetplater who needs a large lens (and doesn't have any that size). The owner told me he was building a camera museum, to honor his dad, and the lens would remain in his collection (presumably for another generation if not for forever). Who can argue with his decision? Not me! A collector has as much right to a lens (or pocketwatch, or Corvette, or Leica) as a user. Perhaps more. How many shots will be taken with an 8D, and for how many years? But hundreds of people, each year, can see his lens in the window of his studio, or museum, and talk about his dad and photography.

alex from holland
15-Dec-2013, 06:59
Garrett, good point! I did not say its not ok. I only said it hurts. And I enjoiyed it very much visiting those museums.
The lenses i have now I use on a very frequent base and I am very proud I am able to use them again.
Would love to know who were the previous owners.

Steven Tribe
15-Dec-2013, 07:36
What we really need is working museums! Museums that have facilities to not just demonstrate the old techniques and use of equipment of Studios, but provide opportunities to use equipment.
There are a number of this kind of museum in Denmark - none of them photographic, unfortunately.
The best known is the Viking Ships Museum down the road from me in Roskilde. The basis for this Museum was 5 excavated wrecks found the 1960's. The scope has expanded enormously. Not only do they make copies, they have established a working "shipyard" using the right techniques and tools. This is not just aimed a visitors, interested can be involved for projects and learn the right use of tool and materials.

Surely a working photo museum would be comparatively easy to establish by comparison?

Emil Schildt
15-Dec-2013, 08:05
What we really need is working museums! Museums that have facilities to not just demonstrate the old techniques and use of equipment of Studios, but provide opportunities to use equipment.
There are a number of this kind of museum in Denmark - none of them photographic, unfortunately.
The best known is the Viking Ships Museum down the road from me in Roskilde. The basis for this Museum was 5 excavated wrecks found the 1960's. The scope has expanded enormously. Not only do they make copies, they have established a working "shipyard" using the right techniques and tools. This is not just aimed a visitors, interested can be involved for projects and learn the right use of tool and materials.

Surely a working photo museum would be comparatively easy to establish by comparison?

Well.... if you can become a "friend of the house" so to speak - it opens dors to borrowing and using some stuff... Not quite the same I know..

goamules
15-Dec-2013, 09:17
Good idea.

brandon13
15-Dec-2013, 13:18
Not really!

I have no elusions that anything I write has any influence on where this 8D ends. I think it is quite important that it gets used rather than "accumulated " into a collection of interesting photographic bygones. I know that Alex is a active, communicating photographer with interests in both extreme size and alternative processes. He certainly bothered to help me when I was searching for the distance between the cell of a Dallmeyer 3B, just I am on the "lookout" for some extreme ( 30x40cm +) travel cameras for him! These private contacts are a super bonus from LFPF but I aware that there are many other who could be just as deserving as Alex. Perhaps I should have written that - Alex would be A deserving recipient
First of all. I made this comment in jest. I guess i will have to put a smiley face next time I try to make any light comments on this thread. :D LOL. I actually think Alex would be the perfect person for this lens. Or at least one of the best choices because I am pretty sure if he did own this lens he would find a way to make the proper ULF plates with it. Right now I am completely happy making 11x14 inch plates. I can't afford to go any bigger. I will disagree with any ideas of a lens museum because I honestly believe that there are people out there that would love to and have the ability and resources to use this lens today for it's original purpose.

Freiburg
31-Aug-2023, 06:08
Hello, is the lens still available?
I am looking for a number of lenses for photography
Thanks Tarek