Pinkham semi achromatic and Gundlach Meniscus is the same?

[Jazznoir]

I have a Gundlach Meniscus it seems to have an appearance similar to Pinkham lens being auctioned at ebay (151101589614) . anyone know anything about this similarity? Are they the same manufacturer?

Here is my Gundlach Meniscus 15" f/6



And Pinkham Semi Achromatic on Ebay.



Thanks!

[jp]

It's very generic looking; I have a lancaster meniscus that looks fairly similar but probably smaller.

I'm am not a P&S collector or owner, but most of the ones I have seen are aluminum.

[Stephane]

To revive an old thread, and since I own both the 16" P&S semi-achromatic in the first post of this thread, and a 16" achromatic Gundlack portrait lens.
The serial number on the P&S has the same font as the one used on the 16" Gundlach.
The P&S was advertized as an 18", but is a 16". Despite the barrels being similar in design (similar does not mean identical), the glass of the P&S does not fit in the barrel of the 16" Gundlach.

Now something new: I found a picture of a lens that is branded as both P&S and Gundlach. Unfortunately it is a screenshot from an image search, and the image was not available besides its thumbnail size. Still, the writing is clear enough: Gundlach something Rochester, P&S Co Boston Mass. The writing here is more elaborate than the brass barrel specimen.

What to make up of this?



The image is not available anymore, looks like it was a sale on ebay by user "cape-estate" for us1625 on 20.05.2018.
My detective work ends here...

[Tin Can]

I have the Gundlach

It seems more rare than the Pinkham

We need better pictures and measurements

I will try to post later today

[mdarnton]

Since Pinkham was an optician not a factory, isn't it likely that he had to have sourced his mounts from someone who had what he needed already in production? That wouldn't mean that the glass in both came from the same place, however.

[Mark Sawyer]

Pinkham and Smith made or assembled their own lenses, but they also re-sold other manufacturer's lenses. They engraved their name on those too, as was common back then. They also engraved their name on French binoculars they re-sold in America.

[Tin Can]

Notice the different fonts and perhaps stamping machine

IMG-2125 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

IMG-2126 by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

[Stephane]

Here what I have:
P&S semi-achromatic:



The font of the 16.5 in gundlach


And both lenses, leveled, to appreciate the curvature of the glass.

[Duyfam]

Since Pinkham was an optician not a factory, isn't it likely that he had to have sourced his mounts from someone who had what he needed already in production? That wouldn't mean that the glass in both came from the same place, however.

I don't think so, Here is a series of images of Wolfe, designer of photographic and industrial lenses for Pinkham and Smith

[Duyfam]

Some parts and serial on the body of Synthetic lens in the last photo: