Willard & Co. Lens circa. 1860

[Mark Lund]

Hello to all,
In recent travels in WNY I came across and purchased a large brass barrelled lens marked "Willard & Co. New York". From its design I guessed at the date of 1860. The Serial Number is 7384. I have contacted the George Eastman Houses' Curator of Technology, Mr. Gustavson, to which there is no mention of the Willard & Co. in their archives. I have tried in vain to Web crawl the name to which was found, John W. Willard, a Dealer of Daguerreotype/Photographic materials in New York between 1856-1882 and Willard lenses used in early Astronomy using telescopes.
A question then arose, was the lens made by a different manufacturer with a contract with Willard & Co. for lenses? Or was it a Patent "rip-off" to make a buck for the Willard & Co. coffers?
I have tested and photographed simple subject matter with the lens, my gut response is that it was made for Landscapes. The Focal length is approx. 9 inches. I have disassembled the rear air spaced doublet and the single front element and cleaned many years of grime off the glass. While doing this reassembled the rear element glasses in different configurations ( due to previous hands) to find the sharpest image circle. I have also replaced a velvet "gasket" on the rear internal body of the lens, there was pieces of "original" fabric there when first dissasembled. The lens is most impressive since it almost covers 8x10 with the subject 15 feet away, with the typical quick fall off from the center to edge of the groundglass.
I post this message in the hopes that someone knows of the Willard & Co. lens based in New York and can give some historic background on the maker(s) and lens design. There are images available of the lens if needed, please contact me for the images. Thank you.
Mark Lund
Rochester, NY

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

From your description, your lens is a Petzval type meant for portraiture (cemented doublet in front, air spaced doublet in rear). These were designed in 1840, and were in use until the 1920s. They were never patented, consequently there were quite a few manufacturers in the 19th century (Voigtländer, Darlot, Ross, and Dallmeyer were the main ones in Europe, while Harrison, and Homes Booth and Haydens made them in the US). I have never seen or heard of a Willard lens, so I suspect that they were probably a "house brand" made by a local optician.

If your lens really has a 9" FL (measured from the middle of the barrel) than was probably intended for 1/2 plates (4.25" x 5.5"), although I have a hard time believing that it would almost cover 8x10, since these lenses covered 45 degrees at most. What is the diameter of the front element? Usually, Petzvals are f/3.6, so it is a pretty easy thing to figure out the FL from the front element...

These still make wonderful portrait lenses, I use an 11" Dallmeyer for 5x7, and love it.

[Mike Phifer]

Petzval a professor of higher mathematics in Vienna designed two lenses. A portrait lens f/ 3.6 and a wide-angle objective of f/ 8.7 (which Kingslake describes as actually a telephoto since the rear component was of negative power, "A History of the Photographic Lens", 1989 Academic Press). Kingslake states that Petzval's lens designs were copied freely by every optition under the name German System. Petzval only held an Austrian Patent.

I have a list of Petzval lens designs that show a range of coverage from 20 f/2.2 to 60 degrees. Both the Gundach Portrait A f/5 and B f/4 covered 60 degrees (Handbook of Photography, 1939).

[richard_5189]

I have a cased ambrotype with Willard embroided felt interior. Did John W. Willard make cases for his images?

[Bart Fried]

Willard used at least one outside contractor to produce photographic portrait lenses of the Petzval form - a firm or maker named "Unser". The most notable of these was a lens that ended up in San Francisco. It was bought cheaply by Holden, director of Lick Observatory, for E. E. Barnard. The lens was refigured by the great American telescope maker, John A. Brashear, and Barnard used it for photographing the Milky Way, etc., etc. An internet search using the term "Crocker Telescope" and "Willard Lens" will get you a good deal of info on this lens.

[Bart Fried]

Further to that, the following has more on Usner (misspelled in the previous post) and Willard & Co.

"How the lens came to be used in Astronomical work on Mount Hamilton is described by professor Barnard in the introduction. The first experiments in astronomical work with an old fashioned portrait lens of the Petzval type were made by Dr. David Gill at the Cape of Good Hope on the great comet of 1882. In January, 1889, a 6-inch "Willard" lens was used by Wm. Ireland to photograph the total eclipse of the Sun, and its success then led to the purchase by Director Holden for the Lick Observatory, the funds being provided by the Hon. C. F. Crocker, Regent of the University of California. The information given shows that the lens was neither made by Willard nor is it 6-inches in aperture. Willard & Co., who have their name upon it were stock dealers only. The lens was made by Charles F. Usner in New York City. His name should not be forgotten, for it is doubtful if the lens makers of today can turn out an instrument greatly its superior.

It is true, however, that Brashear has refigured it, which doubtless adds to the sharpness of its images. The chief limitation of the original lens must have been the fact that the optical and visual foci coincided, as was necessary for focusing in the old wet-plate process. A modern instrument made exclusively for astronomical photography would have a better color correction and would give sharper images;"

PUBLICATIONS OF THE LICK OBSERVATORY, VOLUME XI: PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MILKY WAY
AND OF COMETS: BY E. E. BARNARD: A REVIEW. By Joel H. Metcalf

[GGF]

My goodness these are very old messages. Will anybody see this post? I am doing research on early photography of the west and have a reference to WH Jackson using a Willard Lens. So it must have been used for landscape. Could a lens developed for portraiture be used for Landscape? did other photographers use such a lens? What effects would it have made on the images? GGF

[BarryS]

Willard & Co. were opticians that distributed lenses and photographic equipment--not manufacturers of lenses. They would have likely sold a full line of both portrait and landscape lenses. A Petzval Portrait lens wouldn't have been very suitable as a landscape lens for the large plates WHJ used. It would have to be huge to cover a large plate, and even then--the periphery of the image would be soft.

Most likely, the lens was a rapid rectilinear (aka aplanat) lens, which was developed in the 1860's. These lenses were much smaller, fairly sharp across the entire field, and low in linear distortion. They were also made in wide angle versions that would be much more useful for a landscape photographer.

[CCHarrison]

Willard was a reseller of other makers goods...

1867 and 1869 Willard ads attached

You may want to visit my site with early ads: http://antiquecameras.net/18481875advertisements.html


Dan

[goamules]

Willard & Co. were opticians that distributed lenses and photographic equipment--not manufacturers of lenses. They would have likely sold a full line of both portrait and landscape lenses. ...

Most likely, the lens was a rapid rectilinear (aka aplanat) lens, which was developed in the 1860's. These lenses were much smaller, fairly sharp across the entire field, and low in linear distortion. They were also made in wide angle versions that would be much more useful for a landscape photographer.

The only Willards I've ever seen are Petzvals. Come to think of it, I've never seen an RR/Aplant by hardly any early American portrait lens maker/reseller. Willard weren't really opticians either, if I recall, they just made the brasswork, or possibly got it from Holmes Booth Haydens or another brass manufacturer. Both of these used glass made by Usner, who was an optician. The only lenses I've ever seen from 1850s-1860s NY companies were radial drive Petzval pattern Portrait lenses, other than the CC Harrison Orthoscop and the Globe. But I may be forgetting something...

This Usner ad (not Willard) is from 1891 (in my notes...seems awfully late), and lists RRs though.

[CCHarrison]

Agreed with Garrett- no early US makers of RR's.... not until the 1880's I believe.... Dallmeyer and Steinheil patents probably the cause...

US lenses in the 1860's, other than Petzvals, which were wide angles of various degrees - would be Harrison's Globe and Orthoscope (late 50's); Fitz lens (rare), Schnitzer lens (rare), Zentmayer's lens, and then early 70's with various Morrison lenses...

I believe Usener made lenses under his own label, for Holmes, Booth and Haydens (HBH Label), and for Willard (Willard Label) over many years.

Dan

[goamules]

Here is one of my Willards, halfplate size, in uncommon nickel.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3450/5756502184_acbf1ec0bb_z.jpg

[CCHarrison]

PS - I have come across google references that WHJ's stereoviews were taken with a pair of Willard lenses... This would mean it was a pair of Petzvals....which was common during this period...

read entries 1,3 and 4 ... just the intro paragraphs on each entry on this page

http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=wh+jackson+lens&tbs=,cdr:1,cd_max:Dec%2031_2%201872&num=10#q=w+h+jackson+willard+lens&hl=en&safe=off&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1900,cd_max:1999&tbm=bks&source=lnt&sa=X&ei=tULcTYngJYzogQeC8sQC&ved=0CBcQpwUoAg&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=477c9706193909e5


Dan

[BarryS]

Interesting. It makes sense that the Petzvals would have been used for stereoviews. I was just examining a WHJ print from a mammoth plate this past week, and it was fairly sharp up until the corners. I can't remember the date of the image, but was it likely he used a Globe or other pre-RR lens? How long did it take for RR/aplanats to start showing up at American suppliers.

@Garrett--what an interesting lens, especially with the nickel plating and the radial drive. Any idea of the date?

[goamules]

And since we are archiving all the interesting Willard history (there's only about 2-3 paragraphs about them out there at this time), a 6" Willard, old at the time, was used to make a telescope for the Lick Observatory. This was used to photograph the 1910 Haley's Comet. Long live the Petzval!

Crocker telescope - This telescope was constructed using the 6-inch Willard lens originally in use by a commercial photographer in San Francisco. The Willard lens was refigured by Brashear. [PASP 2, 128 (1890)] Starting with observations in 1892 the photographic results of this instrument fill the entire content of one volume. [E.E. Barnard, PLO XI (1913)] During the 1910 apparation of Comet Halley many different small lenses were used -- first at the Crocker telescope and later upon the Crossley. [Curtis, PASP 22, 117 (1910)] [N. Bobrovnikoff, PLO 17 (1931)]

I tried to upload some pictures of the telescope but they failed due to .pdf format....I'll have to redo them.

[Two23]

Here is one of my Willards, halfplate size, in uncommon nickel.



When did they start plating brass with nickel? I always thought it started in the 1890s, but have heard a few suggestions it started in the 1870s.


Kent in SD

[CCHarrison]

BarryS - E&HT Anthony became the big US importer of Dallmeyer lenses starting in 1866. I am fairly certain Dallmeyer RR's would have been imported fairly quickly and on the market in the US by 1869 or so. I do see ads from the UK as early as 1867 for the lens. Probably the same timing for Steinheil's lens.

Also, I found the 1866 Willard Ad that talks about them buying out Usener's equipment and how Usener made lenses for HBH for 13 years. See attached. If you look at all the Willard ads I posted in sequence - it reads (1866) that Willard bought out Usener's equipment and have secured his talent, in the 1867, the ad says "made under the direction of Usener," and by 1869 Usener isnt mentioned, but Baldwin, another ex-HB&H employee is.... While other companies had lenses made for them to label as their own, Willard appears to have "bought" or employed a well known optician (Usener, after working with HB&H from about 1853-1865 ) to make them "in-house" as Willard lenses. So, I guess we could say Willard was a maker and seller of its lenses... and to finish the Usener story...it looks like he wasnt with Willard too long as by 1871 he appears to be selling under his own name; Anthony advertises "Usener" lenses for sale in 1871 and Charles Cooper & Co, a photographic dealer out of NY, advertised itself as the sole agents for CF (Charles F.) "Usener Portrait Lenses" in 1873, 1878 & 1882 and even advertises some stock of Usener lenses in 1905 !

Dont know when the first "nickel" lenses were made / arrived, but I do find references to Usener lenses supplied in nickel in 1875 (Photographic Times). I read that nickel was shown not to oxidize as much as other metals and it appears nickel plating started increasing in the US around 1870... Nickel was also used (with other metals) in US coinage during this period.

Dan

[goamules]

...Garrett--what an interesting lens, especially with the nickel plating and the radial drive. Any idea of the date?

I have researched it as much as I can, talking to many people and going into a lot of archives like Dan's advertisements. I still can't give a definitive date, but they started in about 1857, and my serial number leads me to surmise about 1859, but with the nickel plate I'm not sure. I've talked to several premier collectors who have studied lenses for decades, and nickle did become quite popular for about 10 years or so in American lenses, but I don't know the exact start date.

[Andrew Plume]

Willard was a reseller of other makers goods...

1867 and 1869 Willard ads attached

You may want to visit my site with early ads: http://antiquecameras.net/18481875advertisements.html


Dan

great stuff Dan, thanks for posting - I'm really fond of these old adverts

andrew

[cdholden]

great stuff Dan, thanks for posting - I'm really fond of these old adverts

andrew

Me too. I especially like being reminded of the fact that bullshit is timeless. I find it comical. The marketing makes me want to go buy a used horse and buggy.

"...we refrained from doing so until such time as we could introduce INSTRUMENTS OF A SUPERIOR ORDER OF EXCELLENCE."

True. It may have been good quality gear, but it was also hype. Hype sold then just as it sells now.

Chris

[goamules]

I got another Willard, a 14" brass one. Already mounted on a 9" lensboard and ready to try out!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8432316991_7b4f319b36_c.jpg

Here's (http://books.google.com/books?id=5pkoccWM6uEC&pg=PA143&lpg=PA143&dq=willard+%26+co.+lens&source=bl&ots=OAVvvMM4lB&sig=LSVYiPNqe_-X_OnRMY3o2PvAP08&hl=en&sa=X&ei=76cKUd-kCKTvigKvvICoDA&ved=0CEUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=willard%20%26%20co.%20lens&f=false) a reference to the "1849 Willard" used at the Lick observatory.

http://collections.ucolick.org/exhibits_on_line/E2E.1/images/crocker_tele.jpg

With a picture of it: http://collections.ucolick.org/exhibits_on_line/E2E.1/Willard.html
And it's use to do some early photographs of the galaxy: http://freescruz.com/~4cygni/horsehead/B33_1.htm

[Mark Sawyer]

A wonderful find for your growing collection of early American radial-drive Petzvals! Maybe the best part is that it's a "living" collection, still making images, and we'll be seeing images from that Willard lens soon, the first it's made in who knows how long... :)

Quite a few of the early lens-makers were as well or better known for their telescopes.