Lerebours a Paris Lens (not & Secretan)

[photogenie]

Hi All,
I have a lens in a brass casing, the only marks that I can find is as per picture, the picture shows all the parts and the assembled lens, I think it is a Petzval lens.
The assembled item measures 9cm across, fully extended the height is 20cm. The weight of this object is 1.250kg
I can not detect any markings on the lens itself to identify it.
I would be grateful for any help.

[Emil Schildt]

what picture?

[photogenie]

what picture?

sorry new to this forgot pictures. oops.

[Steven Tribe]

Lerebours existed for some time before he joined up with Secretan!

Looks like a largish Landscape meniscus lens, with a rather complex front aperture system.
Just the single rear lens?

I am separated by over 1000 km from my French lens books until Saturday night, but perhaps Emil or others can give it a date and "type". No doubt but it is absolutely genuine, they didn't have serial numbers.

The rack and pinion system has been abandoned and the rack filled up with solder.

I assume that the lens cell shown fits just one end of the longest/narrowest barrel? The 20cm length for this barrel is a lot for a landscape lens. If the two aperture pieces fit down in the middle of the barrel, then it has been a Prezval, but the real cell is missing.

[photogenie]

Lerebours existed for some time before he joined up with Secretan!

Looks like a largish Landscape meniscus lens, with a rather complex front aperture system.
Just the single rear lens?

I am separated by over 1000 km from my French lens books until Saturday night, but perhaps Emil or others can give it a date and "type". No doubt but it is absolutely genuine, they didn't have serial numbers.

The rack and pinion system has been abandoned and the rack filled up with solder.

I assume that the lens cell shown fits just one end of the longest/narrowest barrel? The 20cm length for this barrel is a lot for a landscape lens. If the two aperture pieces fit down in the middle of the barrel, then it has been a Prezval, but the real cell is missing.

The tube which fits into the larger unit is approx 11cm long the 20cm measurement is the full height when the inner barrel is extended,
the lens cell (the large glass lens) fits into the narrowest barrel, the smallest part screws into the larger shallow section and this fits inside the narrow tube,
I am sorry this is something I know little about, but I appreciate your help with this, if you need more information, please ask. Thank you.

[goamules]

I can tell you that this is probably a very early lens. Lerebours was joined by Secretan about 1845, so this could be from about 1841. That's very early in the optical world.

[goamules]

Also, look closely on the face of the glass near the edge (not the actual edge). Some Lerebours were scratched with tiny writing, showing the serial number. Yours is so early, there is no serial number probably, but I'd like to know if anything is written on the edge of the glass, like here:

[photogenie]

Also, look closely on the face of the glass near the edge (not the actual edge). Some Lerebours were scratched with tiny writing, showing the serial number. Yours is so early, there is no serial number probably, but I'd like to know if anything is written on the edge of the glass, like here:

I have used my loupe but can not find any etching on the lens.

[Steven Tribe]

Even though there is no serial number engraved on the barrel, there could be a number scratched on the glass as Garrett (Who has done quite a lot of research with this!) has mentioned. Which would, in fact, be a serial number. Those usually seen on Lerebours et Secretan have been four digits, but never very low figures. It would interesting if the Lerebours used this system before the long term association with Secretan. Although this achromat lens has probably been "serviced" a few times during its lifetime, there may still be traces of pencil writing around the concealed edge of glass. Like watchmakers, early optician techicians often made notes on concealed brass surfaces in very fine "needlework".

We try not to use on-going auctions/buyitnow on Ebay. But, at the present time, there is a very wide selection of Lerebours et Secretan landscape lenses on offer. None of these have very good descriptions and all speculatively priced in my view! At least one has been incorrectly assembled! But there is a good range of component parts shown in detailed photos and one is quite near your type with rack and pinion. Worth a study.

[photogenie]

Even though there is no serial number engraved on the barrel, there could be a number scratched on the glass as Garrett (Who has done quite a lot of research with this!) has mentioned. Which would, in fact, be a serial number. Those usually seen on Lerebours et Secretan have been four digits, but never very low figures. It would interesting if the Lerebours used this system before the long term association with Secretan. Although this achromat lens has probably been "serviced" a few times during its lifetime, there may still be traces of pencil writing around the concealed edge of glass. Like watchmakers, early optician techicians often made notes on concealed brass surfaces in very fine "needlework".

We try not to use on-going auctions/buyitnow on Ebay. But, at the present time, there is a very wide selection of Lerebours et Secretan landscape lenses on offer. None of these have very good descriptions and all speculatively priced in my view! At least one has been incorrectly assembled! But there is a good range of component parts shown in detailed photos and one is quite near your type with rack and pinion. Worth a study.

Thank you Steven, I am not sure that I should remove the brass casing from the lens as I fear I may damage the item, I am of course trying to find out as much information as possible with a view to selling the item, I will look at Ebay and see if I can find the one you have mentioned.