Need Grubb Lens Expertise

[pgk]

Intiguingly I have been carefully examining a lens engraved Howard Grubb and which I am thinking is probably from the 1990s )certainly post 1883 but more likely 1895+). Surprise, surprise it too has 'rice writing' on the glass of 'Grubb Patent serial number'. Also intriguingly, it looks very much like one of Thomas Grubb's 'A' type Patent lenses but fitted into completely different brasswork and with a rotating stop mechanism at the front. If I'm right then this would suggest that Grubb Patent lenses were on sale for around 40 years even if only in small quantities.

Also FWIW I have tracked around 150 Grubb surviving lenses to date although not all are complete and some details are scant to say the very least. I also estimate that complete production from both Thomas and Howard is probably less than 4500 in total, or which ~300 were from Howard.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Attachment 239080
Attachment 239081
Attachment 239082

William

Very nice lens and sliding box camera, William. Could you tell us about the dimensions of the camera, and does it have a makerslabel?

[pgk]

I am sure that William will reply (I know that he's somewhat busy) but the lens has 2 inch diameter glass fitted in the rear black ring which will give you some idea.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

I am sure that William will reply (I know that he's somewhat busy) but the lens has 2 inch diameter glass fitted in the rear black ring which will give you some idea.

Thank you Paul; that would make the width and hight of its likely square front probably somewhere between 7 and 8 inches.....

[Steven Tribe]

Not sure if there have been previous links to this advert section of a publication or if the link is dead - but here is the key to A,B etc markings.

[pgk]

Thanks Steven. ould you provide dates for the second two please?

The Advert I'd really like to get hold of is the ‘original’ advertisement of April 9th, 1859 in “The Photographic Journal” (No 82) which is referred to in later advertisements as showing the prices of lenses. I believe that this may be the first advert which lists the available early lenses

[Willeica]

Very nice lens and sliding box camera, William. Could you tell us about the dimensions of the camera, and does it have a makerslabel?

The size of the image is max 5x5 inches , but the screen is ruled for 3 1/2 x 4 and 21/4 x3 inches. This is not uncommon with 19th Century cameras and a lot of the cameras I have catalogued recently have this type of pencil ruling on the rear screen. There is no maker's name on the camera, but it is typical of Sliding Box cameras from the late 1850s/early 1860s.

A bonus for you if you are interested in Ross and Dallmeyer lenses is my recent talk on YouTube on the fitting of Ross and Dallmeyer lenses to early Leicas. There is a picture of some of my Grubb lenses in this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOqNGCAIOsU&t=137s

William





William

[Willeica]

Not sure if there have been previous links to this advert section of a publication or if the link is dead - but here is the key to A,B etc markings.

We have quite a few advertisements by Grubb. Any that are marked 141 Leinster Road are after 1863/4 when he moved there from Leinster Square. I have brought Paul (pgk) to these addresses. I have seen a photo taken by Grubb from the window of his Leinster Square House in the early 1850s. It is in collection which I am trying to have saved to a safe archive. I have also acquired recently some landscape photos recently which were taken by Francis Bedford in Wales c 1870. Mr Grubb had mentioned in his early/mid 1860s advertisements that Bedford was a user of his lenses. I will post some of these along with some recent acquisitions and also have a look again at my Grubb/Watson Aplanatic Doublet and aluminium Howard Grubb Aplanatic Doublet to see if they contain any engraving in the light of Paul's recent discovery.

William

[Willeica]

My latest Grubb lens, an A3 Petzval Type No 1268.





William

[Willeica]

I mentioned that I would check my Grubb/Watson Aplanatic Doublet No 5045 and my Aluminium Aplanatic No 5350, the highest Grubb lens Number I have seen, for engraved 'rice writing' on the glass in the light of Paul's (pgk). I have checked again and I can find no such engraving. Neither lens has a Patent engraving on the lens barrel. All of my Grubb Patent Aplanatics have the 'rice writing' engraving.

My full Grubb collection is below. The rarest items are No 509 with the helicoid and No 5350 in aluminium at far left and far right in the back row respectively.



William