goamules
16-Jan-2014, 11:15
In my studies of early American lenses, I sometimes run across some pretty obscure ones. This John H. Walzl lens was made in perhaps 1859-1860 (Craig's Daguerreian Registry). He ran an early Daguerreotype supply house in Baltimore. I believe it was his son Richard that built the business into one of the larger photographic emporiums in later decades.
The long, deep hood and quality engraving make me hypothesize it was made in Baltimore, rather than a relabeled European lens, which became common with Scovill and Anthony around the Civil War. I say transitional because he was a Daguerreotypist and supplier first, which was slowly being replaced by wetplate these years. The original waterhouse slot was more useful in the wetplate process. Interestingly, while this should almost certainly be a Petzval, there appears to be no way any rear glass was ever present. There are no threads on the rear, it's just smooth, finished brass. Written in pencil in the inside rear is 10 1/8, which seems to correspond to it's focal length. Perhaps the rear was cut off, I bought the lens for it's history, knowing the rear was missing. But it's certainly strange. I have one other early American lens (gem type) that is just a cemented achromat in the front, with a washer stop in the rear of the tube.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5527/11983676084_c196c578bf_c.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7398/11983674944_4710d86580_z.jpg
Bio: John Henry Walzl was born, June 23, 1833, in Stein, on the Danube, Lower Austria. He received a thorough education at the University of Krems, near the above city, in which he was a student for about seven years, and graduated at the age of sixteen years. While at college he found time to make himself conversant with the trade pursued by his father, that of jeweler. His collegiate and business education completed he went to St. Poelten, near Vienna, and subsequently to the Austrian capital, where he engaged in the jewelry business. After remaining in the latter city for about a year he obtained a permit from the Imperial Government to travel beyond the confines of Austria. He made a general European tour, and then established himself in his vocation in Geneva, Switzerland. He left Geneva and went to Winterthur, where he received a summons from the authorities of the Austrian Government to return home and enter its military service. This he disregarded, and immediately turned his course toward America. He set sail from the port of Havre, France, and in September of 1853 landed in New York. He obtained a situation in the jewelry establishment of David Raith, and subsequently in the house of Tiffany, Young & Ellis. He remained in New York two years, during which time he saved enough to provide for his family a home in Hoboken, where he had purchased several building lots. Being compelled to change his business on account of impaired health he removed to Baltimore, Maryland, and in 1854 associated with him Mr. Beeckman Cooke in the daguerreotype business, under the firm style of Cooke & Walzl. Six months after the co-partnership was formed Mr. Walzl bought the entire interest of the establishment. He extended his business considerably, engaging largely in the supplying of daguerreotype stock or material to the Southern trade. Upon the introduction of photography in 1856 he again expanded his business, his establishment becoming the leading one of its kind in Baltimore. Mr. Walzl was the inventor of Tatum's Patent Oil-ground Photographs, a process whereby photographs can be printed directly on the oiled canvas. Since 1868 Mr. Walzl has devoted himself very extensively to operations in real estate. Waverly, on the York Road, Baltimore County, owes its origin and growth largely to him. As early as 1860 he purchased considerable land in that place, and has erected thereon many elegant and valuable structures. He also purchased Chancellorsville, Virginia, which was the scene of bloody conflicts during the civil war. This tract of land embraced about one thousand acres. The old Chancellor Hotel, which was destroyed during the war, was renovated by him; he built a schoolhouse, and established a flourishing Sunday-school, Mr. P. R. Uhler, Librarian of the Peabody Institute, kindly furnishing the books and exerting himself in behalf of the religious work. Mr. Walzl's aim was to colonize the above section of Virginia with industrious Germans, who would develop its resources and thus add largely to the substantial wealth and prosperity of the State. Through his instrumentality three hundred Germans were brought from their native country and located at Chancellorsville. His enterprise attracted the attention of the Governor of Virginia, and Mr. Walzl was invited by him, in letters dated January 8, 1871, and January 18, 1872, to address the Committee on Immigration of the State Senate of Virginia at Richmond in reference to the results of his colonization operations and his views on the same, which he did in proper terms, eliciting the approval of the entire State Legislature. The late Archbishop Spalding, Bishop of Baltimore, addressed a letter to the late Bishop McGill of Richmond requesting him to forward Mr. Walzl's projects in the colonizing of the emigrants. Mr. Walzl's operations in Virginia extended from 1870 to 1873, when he returned to his home in Waverly. Subsequently he and his wife made a prolonged tour of Europe, revisiting the scenes of his childhood on the shores of the Danube. Mr. Walzl married in 1857 Miss Augusta Eisenbrandt, daughter of Christian H. Eisenbrandt, a well-known musical instrument manufacturer of Baltimore. He was a native of Gottingen, Germany, and came to America in 1812. Mrs. Walzl died in 1877. Three children survive her: John Henry, Sidney, and Ellenora. Mr. Walzl married, the second time, August 22, 1878, Miss Ida Horn, eldest daughter of Benjamin and Mary Ann Horn.
The long, deep hood and quality engraving make me hypothesize it was made in Baltimore, rather than a relabeled European lens, which became common with Scovill and Anthony around the Civil War. I say transitional because he was a Daguerreotypist and supplier first, which was slowly being replaced by wetplate these years. The original waterhouse slot was more useful in the wetplate process. Interestingly, while this should almost certainly be a Petzval, there appears to be no way any rear glass was ever present. There are no threads on the rear, it's just smooth, finished brass. Written in pencil in the inside rear is 10 1/8, which seems to correspond to it's focal length. Perhaps the rear was cut off, I bought the lens for it's history, knowing the rear was missing. But it's certainly strange. I have one other early American lens (gem type) that is just a cemented achromat in the front, with a washer stop in the rear of the tube.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5527/11983676084_c196c578bf_c.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7398/11983674944_4710d86580_z.jpg
Bio: John Henry Walzl was born, June 23, 1833, in Stein, on the Danube, Lower Austria. He received a thorough education at the University of Krems, near the above city, in which he was a student for about seven years, and graduated at the age of sixteen years. While at college he found time to make himself conversant with the trade pursued by his father, that of jeweler. His collegiate and business education completed he went to St. Poelten, near Vienna, and subsequently to the Austrian capital, where he engaged in the jewelry business. After remaining in the latter city for about a year he obtained a permit from the Imperial Government to travel beyond the confines of Austria. He made a general European tour, and then established himself in his vocation in Geneva, Switzerland. He left Geneva and went to Winterthur, where he received a summons from the authorities of the Austrian Government to return home and enter its military service. This he disregarded, and immediately turned his course toward America. He set sail from the port of Havre, France, and in September of 1853 landed in New York. He obtained a situation in the jewelry establishment of David Raith, and subsequently in the house of Tiffany, Young & Ellis. He remained in New York two years, during which time he saved enough to provide for his family a home in Hoboken, where he had purchased several building lots. Being compelled to change his business on account of impaired health he removed to Baltimore, Maryland, and in 1854 associated with him Mr. Beeckman Cooke in the daguerreotype business, under the firm style of Cooke & Walzl. Six months after the co-partnership was formed Mr. Walzl bought the entire interest of the establishment. He extended his business considerably, engaging largely in the supplying of daguerreotype stock or material to the Southern trade. Upon the introduction of photography in 1856 he again expanded his business, his establishment becoming the leading one of its kind in Baltimore. Mr. Walzl was the inventor of Tatum's Patent Oil-ground Photographs, a process whereby photographs can be printed directly on the oiled canvas. Since 1868 Mr. Walzl has devoted himself very extensively to operations in real estate. Waverly, on the York Road, Baltimore County, owes its origin and growth largely to him. As early as 1860 he purchased considerable land in that place, and has erected thereon many elegant and valuable structures. He also purchased Chancellorsville, Virginia, which was the scene of bloody conflicts during the civil war. This tract of land embraced about one thousand acres. The old Chancellor Hotel, which was destroyed during the war, was renovated by him; he built a schoolhouse, and established a flourishing Sunday-school, Mr. P. R. Uhler, Librarian of the Peabody Institute, kindly furnishing the books and exerting himself in behalf of the religious work. Mr. Walzl's aim was to colonize the above section of Virginia with industrious Germans, who would develop its resources and thus add largely to the substantial wealth and prosperity of the State. Through his instrumentality three hundred Germans were brought from their native country and located at Chancellorsville. His enterprise attracted the attention of the Governor of Virginia, and Mr. Walzl was invited by him, in letters dated January 8, 1871, and January 18, 1872, to address the Committee on Immigration of the State Senate of Virginia at Richmond in reference to the results of his colonization operations and his views on the same, which he did in proper terms, eliciting the approval of the entire State Legislature. The late Archbishop Spalding, Bishop of Baltimore, addressed a letter to the late Bishop McGill of Richmond requesting him to forward Mr. Walzl's projects in the colonizing of the emigrants. Mr. Walzl's operations in Virginia extended from 1870 to 1873, when he returned to his home in Waverly. Subsequently he and his wife made a prolonged tour of Europe, revisiting the scenes of his childhood on the shores of the Danube. Mr. Walzl married in 1857 Miss Augusta Eisenbrandt, daughter of Christian H. Eisenbrandt, a well-known musical instrument manufacturer of Baltimore. He was a native of Gottingen, Germany, and came to America in 1812. Mrs. Walzl died in 1877. Three children survive her: John Henry, Sidney, and Ellenora. Mr. Walzl married, the second time, August 22, 1878, Miss Ida Horn, eldest daughter of Benjamin and Mary Ann Horn.