CC Harrison Mammoth Lens

[goamules]

T-minus 13 minutes and counting, for the CC Harrison Mammoth that is selling.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273760858859

[goamules]

$15,600 sold. That's got to be a record. Some lens scholars say only 10 or 20 Mammoth size were ever made.

[Hugo Zhang]

It is going to be used on a 24x30 wet plate camera.

[Dave Wooten]

Nice! Congratulations to both buyer and seller!

[Mark Sawyer]

It is going to be used on a 24x30 wet plate camera.

Ummm... personal knowledge? :)

[goamules]

Can the buyer let us know the actual focal length when it arrives? The "Mammoth" term changed over the years, as did the plate sizes.

CC Harrison made lenses in a 4-4 size (wholeplate), then an "Extra 4-4", and a 8-4, and finally a Mammoth, all with the iris.

[Steven Tribe]

I am not absolutely sure that all the bidders were aware of what they are bidding for in this auction!

The term "Petzval" is used correctly, but it is the alternative F11 design called the Orthoscopic. It is also described in the listing as the Orthoscopic.

Our Own CCHarrison has a super article with lots of patent dates and drawings of the iris design and lenses.

https://www.antiquecameras.net/1857ccharrisonlens.html

[Hugo Zhang]

Based upon the diameter and focal length of the lens, it is about f/6.

[Steven Tribe]

Yes, I did the calculation of advertised focal length and the front lens diameter (making F6) but the CCHarrison article says F11 and the rear pair has a smaller diameter. It may be a question of focusing wide open, but reducing the 6 bladed aperture down to F11 for use. It has been reported as been only made in 1857/1858.

[Hugo Zhang]

We will find this out soon. :)

[Steven Tribe]

The fact that the iris blades are mounted well inside the barrel is not quite so clear in the CCHarrison article illustrations, but can be seen in one of the listing photos, showing 3 of the iris blades.

It is certainly a lovely piece of design and finish - in perfect condition.

[lucaas]

The rim holds the aperture blades may further limit the max aperture. So it might be slower than f6.
189205

[Mark Sawyer]

It's definitely not an Orthoscop. Those had much shorter barrels; see the Voigtlander 1-meter focal length Orthoscop below. For those interested, Petzval designed two lenses in 1840, the very popular Portrait Lens, and the much slower and wider-angle Orthoscop, meant for views and landscapes. The Orthoscop was not commercially produced until 1858, but was fairly successful until eclipsed by the Globe, Pantoscope, and Wide Angle Rectilinears.

[Steven Tribe]

The lens looks certainly more like a Petzval than the Orthoscope the lister mentions. And the illustrated unique iris for the Orthoscope (see below) looks a lot smaller in maximum aperture than the one shown in the listing.
If the marking on the iris is to believed, the maximum aperture is 4", rarher than near the 6" barrel width.
Although the iris was an Orthoscopic "thing" perhaps it was also used on the "prestige" size?

[Hugo Zhang]

The diameter will be over 8 inch if it is f/4

[goamules]

Steven, it's a petzval, not an Orthoscop. You may have missed Mark's post. CC Harrison put the patented iris in all of their larger petzval portrait lenses, from size 4/4 on up. This was advertised.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7910/32529689797_4d371082d8_c.jpg

What I find interesting is the variation in the larger CC Harrisons over a relatively short period. The knurled ring in the middle is probably just for assembly, it has noting to do with the iris I am pretty sure. Because the others that I've seen (only about 1-2 show up for sale a decade) do not have that ring, just the sliding small plate with the knob on it.

[Hugo Zhang]

The initial testing of the lens shows its focal length is about 24-26 inches and has a f stops around 5.

[goamules]

Thanks for updating with the actual focal length, I was thinking 36" sounded way too long for how that lens looks compared to mine.

[Ozzz]

24x30...how many crew members needed to haul that gargantuan camera to the site?! Can't wait to see any illustration of the lens in action!