Need Grubb Lens Expertise

[pgk]

Another one for the list to add? has a clear serial number (perhaps bought by one of our fellowmembers):

It certainly was! I await delivery but it is a Doublet consisting of two of Grubb's Patent Aplanatic lenses around a central stop. The lens described by Kingslake as being the potential forerunner of the Rapid Rectilinear. The serial number dates it to before Dallmeyer patented the Rapid Rectilinear though nand it is ot the earliest of Grubb's Doublets to have survived. I have another which is missing hood and flanfe so I intend to get copies made from this one.
I now have a number of Grubbs and most seem to have been (heavily) used, including two from India, one of which appears to have been repolished at some point. If only they could talk and explain where they had been and what they had photographed (and who used them).

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Congrats Paul! A very nice sample indeed.

Not long ago nr. 3500 - a landscape lens - was sold:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/29531096305...p2047675.l2557

...in a less beautiful state:

[pgk]

Congrats Paul! A very nice sample indeed.

Not long ago nr. 3500 - a landscape lens - was sold:
...in a less beautiful state:

Its OK

[Ron (Netherlands)]

A comparable landscape lens with a much lower serial has been sold recently. It had the following inscription: "Ao Grubb Patent 1444":



From the description that was part of the offering one could ascertain that there were quite some anomalies with this one...but nevertheless nice to add to the list I guess

Any clue yet about the suffixes regarding Ao and Ax?

[pgk]

Any clue yet about the suffixes regarding Ao and Ax?

Yes. There were 3 lenses made by Thomas Grubb with the 'A' designation:

Code - Diameter - Focal Length - Coverage
Ax - 2" - 7.5" - 6” x 5”
A0 - 2" - 8.25" - 6” x 5” to 9” x 7”
A - 2" - 9" - 6” x 5” to 9” x 7”

The Ax was a 'later' lens and is a shorter focal lenth so maginally wider but it appears that this is at the expense of coverage. I have A0 and Ax but no A as yet. The only A lenses I have found as still potentially existing are fitted into Pantoscopic cameras but I am still trying to confirm this.

I'm writing up a history of Grubb lenses and have ~30k words written so far. Its quite fascinating as Grubb was well outside the mainstream in many ways (location, backgound and wide optical understanding - he used ray tracing) but his lenses were used by many influential photographers.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Many thanks for this info Paul, and yes the designation and suffix explanation makes sense.

The only A lenses I have found as still potentially existing are fitted into Pantoscopic cameras but I am still trying to confirm this.

I guess you have seen nr. 2241 which is in the list and seems to be a pillbox lens with an 'A' without suffix.

[Willeica]

Congrats Paul! A very nice sample indeed.

Not long ago nr. 3500 - a landscape lens - was sold:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/29531096305...p2047675.l2557

...in a less beautiful state:

[Willeica]

Is this the one which quoted myself (by name) in the listing? I made an offer to the guy after it did not sell, but the seller never came back to me which was ironic. I've been too busy to go after this with a lot of other things including organising and speaking at conferences in relation to Leica which is my other big collecting interest. I believe that the item is now gone.

William

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Is this the one which quoted myself (by name) in the listing? I made an offer to the guy after it did not sell, but the seller never came back to me which was ironic. I've been too busy to go after this with a lot of other things including organising and speaking at conferences in relation to Leica which is my other big collecting interest. I believe that the item is now gone.

William

Indeed William, your name is in the original listing (which can be viewed by hitting the hyperlink). It is the same seller which sold the Doublet to Paul.

[Willeica]

Indeed William, your name is in the original listing (which can be viewed by hitting the hyperlink). It is the same seller which sold the Doublet to Paul.

So he will quote my name, but won't reply to my offers? This is right up there with the guys who produced the recently published brass lens book (which I bought) which contains a photo I took, without my knowledge or permission, and has quotes from articles (name acknowledged) I have written about Grubb lenses. All this was done without consulting me and/or asking my permission. If they had contacted me they would have got a lot more information about the findings which Paul and I have made over the last few years, so, in a sense , if you can say this about a book about 19th Century items, the book is out of date. The only good thing is the fact that one of the lenses which I own (an Ax) is shown in the book. The book is OK, but could have been a lot better with a bit more consultation, common sense and common decency.

William