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View Full Version : History of 5.5 in. old leather lenscap with knob?



Jon Shiu
23-Sep-2011, 13:58
I got this leather top with some other old photo gear and was wondering on the history of it. I assume it is some type of lens cap, it has felt around the inside rim (or it could be the top of a sewing box or something). It measures 5 1/2 inches inside diameter. Anyone have and idea what lens or lenses it might have been for and who made it? How old?

Jon

goamules
23-Sep-2011, 14:03
... Anyone have and idea what lens or lenses it might have been for and who made it? How old?

I have an idea it fit a lens that was 5 1/2 inch diameter! Seriously, lenscaps were made or at least supplied by all the makers, from the early 1840s until the 1920s. The big ones needed a knob because it's too hard to grab the edge and remove it, if it's large. The way the knob looks I'd guess from the daguerreotype to mid wetplate era, about 1840-1870. It probably went on a large Petzval portrait.

Jon Shiu
23-Sep-2011, 14:32
Thanks for the info! Interesting.

Jon

cyrus
23-Sep-2011, 14:35
Hmm...good idea for my future ULF wet plate.

cowanw
24-Sep-2011, 02:07
An early 19 inch Heliar had such a lens cap albeit 6" across

lenser
24-Sep-2011, 07:24
I've seen photos of these before and always thought that the knob was for easy off and on handling as a rudimentary shutter in the days of minutes long exposures. It would certainly reduce ham-handedness in removing a tight lens cap which could result in shifting the camera off of the target.

E. von Hoegh
24-Sep-2011, 07:25
I think it's for that 30" Dagor that dagor77 sold a few years ago.....

GPS
24-Sep-2011, 07:49
I've seen photos of these before and always thought that the knob was for easy off and on handling as a rudimentary shutter in the days of minutes long exposures. It would certainly reduce ham-handedness in removing a tight lens cap which could result in shifting the camera off of the target.

That can be very much the truth about this item. I was always suspecting that the "hat" technique for exposures needed to be done with something else than the common lens cap, much more cumbersome to put on the lens than a cup provided with such a nice knob. Also, the old lens boxes did not have a special place for these protracting knobs on lens cups. Were there different cups for cover and different cups for exposure??

johnielvis
24-Sep-2011, 18:50
my apo ronar....lenscap supplied by my mom...