Anyone recognize this old maker's mark?

[Mark Sawyer]

I just bought it pretty cheap, as I just wanted a nice old brass loupe, but I'm wondering what it is...

143851

[Randy]

Is it upside down - an "R" with a "V" through it?

[Mark Sawyer]

Hard to tell if they're letters or just a design, Randy...

[goamules]

It's a design of letters. They always made logos like that out of letters of significance. And no one can decipher them now! When I was in high school a lot of girls had monogrammed sweaters. You could look, but not figure out what the letters were, they were so fancy.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Is it upside down - an "R" with a "V" through it?

Sure is.

143863

[Harold_4074]

Maybe there was some Maker's Mark of a different ilk involved.

:)

[Tom Sobota]

Surprisingly similar to a Queen Victoria monogram (VR for "Victoria Regina") as can be seen here:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Royal_monograms_of_the_United_Kingdom#/media/File:Queen_Victoria_1887_jubilee_statue_Jersey_3.jpg

However ... on a lens?

Tom

[cowanw]

I thought that as well. The royal family of the time were amateur photographers. This might be part of Alexandra's (Edward, Prince of Wales wife) gear

[Tom Sobota]

Bill, I wouldn't go as far as saying that this lens belonged to the royal family. More probably it belonged to a UK government agency at some time, and they marked their ware to avoid it being stolen and reselled. Just an opinion, of course

Tom

[Mark Sawyer]

Surprisingly similar to a Queen Victoria monogram (VR for "Victoria Regina") as can be seen here:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Royal_monograms_of_the_United_Kingdom#/media/File:Queen_Victoria_1887_jubilee_statue_Jersey_3.jpg

However ... on a lens?

Tom

Thank you, Tom! That may be it, I see the resemblance. :)


Bill, I wouldn't go as far as saying that this lens belonged to the royal family. More probably it belonged to...

Julia Margaret Cameron, presented to her by Queen Victoria herself? Yes, that must be it! I'll write up the story and have it back on ebay soon!

...or I'll just have the coolest loupe on the forum. :cool:

[Tom Sobota]

But Mark, Julia M. Cameron never actually focused, why'd she need a loupe ;-)

Be it as it may, and whatever history it had, your loupe is very cool. Keep it ...

Tom

[Steven Tribe]

It is VR or, more likely, RV ( V is not a common first letter in Christian names).

I don't believe this has anything to do Victoria Regina. Unauthorised Use of Royal Insignia is as big a crime as falsifying the coin of the realm. Probably meant transportation to Australia!

[Mark Sawyer]

It is VR or, more likely, RV...

Ah, so it could be the original Cooke RV (Rapid View), commissioned by Queen Victoria for Julia Margaret Cameron, and this lens was responsible for the birth of all Pictorialist photography!

Seriously though, I poked around and found a few similar cyphers that are definitely linked to Queen Victoria, so I'm thinking that's probably it:

[IanG]

Queen Victoria had an interest in photography and was known to have had instruction, she also live close to Julia Margaret Cameron on the Isle of Wight. Like Steven though I'd think the VR or RV refers to something else though.

Ian

[Tim Meisburger]

I think it is clearly a royal symbol, and expect it was some sort of military issue stuff, like MREs or an old Enfield. As I recall the marks on Victoria-era military rifles are quite similar, although much smaller. Possibly this was part of an optical sight on some sort of cannon.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I think it is clearly a royal symbol, and expect it was some sort of military issue stuff, like MREs or an old Enfield.

I do not think it was assigned to ordinary military or civil use. Find one and report back. The OP might be onto something special. Give it a chance.
.

[Bill_1856]

I'll write up the story and have it back on ebay soon!

Mark, you can't do that. eBay is on the Internet, and as we all know, everything on the Internet is authenticated and absolutely true, (or they wouldn't allow it to be posted).

[Mark Sawyer]

Queen Victoria had an interest in photography and was known to have had instruction, she also live close to Julia Margaret Cameron on the Isle of Wight...

So what you're saying is, Queen Victoria and Julia Margaret Cameron were actually the same person, and I have her lens! The plot thickens...

It seems photographers, especially large format photographers, are always searching for the "Holy Grail" of lenses, and I think I've literally found it! I mean, who would have had access to the original Holy Grail in Victorian times? Queen Victoria, of course! So it would make sense that she would have the Grail hammered and worked into a lens barrel like this. When you think about it, it must be true!


Mark, you can't do that. eBay is on the Internet, and as we all know, everything on the Internet is authenticated and absolutely true, (or they wouldn't allow it to be posted).

Well, if the Internet is letting me say it here, then it must be true! I rest my case. :)

[Jim Graves]

Finally! A loupe worthy enough to view Tinkerbell.

[Struan Gray]

A royal cipher would almost always have a crown in addition to the letters. Government or military marks, even in Victorian times, would also have more information, such as a serial number and/or a broad arrow.

This looks like the engraving on French lenses of the later C19th. It's either an obscure maker, or the initials of a sales outfit. Does RV/VA (or, less likely but just about possible, RA/AR) match any of the US photo supply houses at the time of manifest destiny?

[Tim Meisburger]

I don't know. Mark has linked it pretty convincingly to Queen Victoria's underwear. I don't think you can get closer to the Queen than that!

http://www.victoriana.com/Royalty/queenvictoriaunderwear.htm

[cowanw]

The Princess of Wales was an avid photographer in 1890's and Victoria's daughter Beatrice had a darkroom at Osbourne that she never left (it was complained). Victoria herself was an avid collector of photographs and gave the royal warrant to 28 photographers. Victoria's husband had a darkroom at Windsor. Both were daguerreotypists.
I have no trouble believing this was a lens associated with Queen Victoria, either in the family or a photographers by royal warrant. Is it a taking lens or a Magic lantern lens?

[Mark Sawyer]

I don't know. Mark has linked it pretty convincingly to Queen Victoria's underwear. I don't think you can get closer to the Queen than that!


I'm sure fiber tests will prove she used those very undies to clean the lens! We may never know what images this lens made, but it's seen London and it's seen France... :o


The Princess of Wales was an avid photographer in 1890's and Victoria's daughter Beatrice had a darkroom at Osbourne that she never left (it was complained). Victoria herself was an avid collector of photographs and gave the royal warrant to 28 photographers. Victoria's husband had a darkroom at Windsor. Both were daguerreotypists.
I have no trouble believing this was a lens associated with Queen Victoria, either in the family or a photographers by royal warrant. Is it a taking lens or a Magic lantern lens?

Queen Victoria was also a great believer in spirit photography, so I wouldn't be surprised if this lens also has supernatural powers. Hard to tell if it was a taking or magic lantern lens, though magic is surely involved...

If I do sell it, it'll make that Billy the Kid tintype look cheap! What do you think, a hundred billion dollars?

[Struan Gray]

Victoria's granddaughter Margaret was Crown Princess of Sweden, and a photographer. She also had a keen interest in soldiers' underwear, founding the Red Cross in Sweden to make sure they had enough. The oddest things run in the family sometimes.

I suspect the closest connection this lens has to Queen Victoria and/or her unmentionables is that the 'V' is upside down precisely so as *not* to be confused with the royal monogram. Guardsmen with pointy swords and impertinent questions tended to visit those using badges they were not entitled to.

But if believing your lens was once wiped on the silk drawers of an empress helps you find your muse, who am I to pour cold water on the idea? Vicky was a feisty lass by all accounts, especially in her youth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWAZZo2s6mQ

[Mark Sawyer]

But if believing your lens was once wiped on the silk drawers of an empress helps you find your muse, who am I to pour cold water on the idea?

And I suppose you don't believe in Pixies either? :p

[dsphotog]

Rapid Velostigmat...
Wink, Wink.

[Steven Tribe]

Some exported Derogys had the V and R on either side of the crown engraving which appeared at about serial number 12,000. You can see it here at a FS listing by Eddie for a 22" Petzval (search). The plain crown without the letters is much more common, though. The serial number appears to coincide with the Franco-Prussian war period (1871) and is perhaps some sort of gesture to the UK, in spite of Queen Victoria's Germany origins.

[Struan Gray]

And I suppose you don't believe in Pixies either? :p

Oh no. They're real enough.

Huge fan of a certain high-spirited fairy. And of the Pictsies, but they're a different thing altogether.

[Mark Sawyer]

Well, the best thing about not knowing for sure is I can make up any story I want. So while Queen Victoria's connection is still fairly certain, I'm starting to think Vanessa Redgrave could be involved too...

[Struan Gray]

Well, the best thing about not knowing for sure is I can make up any story I want. So while Queen Victoria's connection is still fairly certain, I'm starting to think Vanessa Redgrave could be involved too...

Ren and Vader. Just sayin'