Bausch and Lomb lens for 1909 world's largest camera ???

[FrancisF]

I am just discovering the career of W. S. Lively, a pominenent American photographer at the turn of the 20th century who lived in McMinnville, Tennessess. He had a studio there for many years and established the Southern School of Photography which ran from 1904 until the building burned in 1928.

From what I have found, he built what was then the largest camera in the world that took 30 by 60 inch glass plate negatives. He took 3 portraits and contact printed them. The Eastman Museum has 2 prints and one of the negatives.

The camera was a 11 by 6 by 5 foot room he built at his school. The lens he used is described as a "Bausch and Lomb lens "4 inches in diaamter." I am guessing that the camera was built in 1908 or 1909. The camera was lost in the 1928 fire.

Does anyone know which Bausch and Lomb lens this might have been?

Here is a link to a short YouTube tour of a museum that has some of his work - and copies of the three ultra large format portraits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1unPgFLV2cU&t=131s

[Jim Jones]

A larger room was utilized for this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Picture
More like a traditional camera: https://knowledgestew.com/the-1900-mammoth-camera-the-largest-in-the-world/?expand_article=1

[FrancisF]

Jim,
Thanks for pointing out the the Lawrence camera took a larger image and was built earlier.

Any idea which lens W. S. Lively might have used?

Thanks,
Francis

[mhayashi]

It’s always nice to learn about the history behind a professional photographer.
A quick search gives me he probably took this portrait pic by B&L Zeiss patent Protar VII 39.25” 1000mm FL single cell.

The Photographic Times
Volume 39
1907
P335
https://archive.org/details/photographictime3971unse/page/334/mode/2up?q=Lively+McMinnville+Bausch+Lomb

The diagonal of 30x60 is about 67”.
The diameter of this lens image circle is 60” at 75 degrees according to Zeiss catalogue in 1901.
https://archive.org/details/photographicobj00goog

At a portrait distance with a small stop, the lens would cover 67”.
The diameter of the lens is 94mm which is about 4” close to your description.

Notice the Portraiture of the man in the book is identical to the picture in the youtube video.
The photographic times says it was copyright in 1907.
So it must be taken by then. So was made the camera by then.

http://www.piercevaubel.com/cam/catalogs/1907b&llp837.htm

Very interesting.

A further research would enlighten more details by searching the keywords in the quotes.


Another lens of remarkable range is the Bausch & Lomb-Zeiss Convertible Protar, Series VII, which might well be used by photographers who do outdoor work and home portraiture. The single lenses of this convertible series are adapted for instantaneous outdoor work under favorable light conditions, for landscapes, groups and large heads, while the double is adapted for groups and architectural work.
As an example of what this lens will do in the hands of a photographer we cite the fact that it was used by W. S. Lively, President of the Southern School of Photography, located in McMinnville, Tenn., in making the two portraits entitled “Son of the Mountains” and “Study of an Old Man.” The former won the Grand Prize in Open to World Class, April 10, 1907 of the Tri-State Association of Photographers and the Grand Prize in Open to World Class, Chicago, May 9, 1907. The latter was selected to hang in the Daguerre Memorial Building at Winona Lake, Indiana. It is reproduced as the frontispiece in this issue of the Photographic Times.

[FrancisF]

mhayashi

Thank you for your reserach and this valuable information. The quote is also very helpful. I will look into it more.

Francis

[mhayashi]

You’re welcome.
A few months ago, I was looking up this Ross Zeiss patent lens owned by Craig Tuffin which happened to be the same lens as Lively’s. Check out and imagine how it would look like in B&L version if you use FB.
https://www.facebook.com/share/gea1pdeeVkxSCkMy/?mibextid=K35XfP