Need Grubb Lens Expertise

[Steven Tribe]

Yes!

I used to often take a bus to visit the Science Museum in my childhood. Most time was spent in the early "interactive" section, though! Very grateful to Prince Albert and the procedes of the Great Exhibition of 1851!

I always wonder about Grubb and his obvious decision to drop photographic optics where he could have made contibutions after the "aplanatic".

[pgk]

Here's another: http://www.mwclassic.com/product/how...eel-apertures/ s/n 5308 covers 10x8. The script used seems much more industrial than that in most other photos of Grubbs. Could it be that by this time the photographic lenses were seen as less mainstream products for the company I wonder?

[Steven Tribe]

Damn!
More radical editing of the serial no. list/types required!
Completely different engraving. The A, B, C etc sizing given up. Last known lens. Etc!

Grubb is recorded as moving his photographic lenses to England towards the end of his production.

[pgk]

The engraving looks much 'cruder' to me - I wonder if this is the clue to dating this lens? Thomas Grubb was (if you read willeica's article) chief engineer to the Bank of Ireland where he developed a consistent technique for the printing of banknotes. I can't see him accepting such a crude engraving. He died in 1878. But would this lens design still be valid after his death or would its production run have been much shorter? The engraving looks as though its produced by a different process? Could it possibly be that by the time that this lens was produced they were being made elsewhere (England as you suggest?) or even under licence?

[5046 and 5308 are both 'Howard Grubb' and have Block capital engraving].

[Willeica]

Howard would have pretty much taken over the business before his father died, having joined the firm in 1864. I think that the Great Melbourne Telescope was a turning point as regards Astronomy. My article since has been published in the 'Orbit' the Journal of the Irish Astronomical Society. They tell me that they are organising an anniversary to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Grubb Telescope in Dunsink Observatory on 13th June 2018, which would make its 'birth date' 13th June 1868. I have photographed the Dunsink telescope and in one photo I put my two Grubb lenses beside their younger, but much bigger, brother. I also did this with one of the two coelostat machines made by Grubb which are in the observatory. One of those machines was used to prove Einstein's Theory of Relativity early in the last century.

The Grubb firm moved to St Albans in 1918 before moving to Newcastle as Grubb Parsons in 1925. By 1918 a lot of its business was related to periscopes for the Royal Navy. Last week a friend in our local camera club told me that his wife's grandmother worked on periscope manufacture in the Rathmines factory before the move to St Albans. She did not move to St Albans, but some male members of staff did so. They later returned to Ireland. The equipment from the Rathmines factory was moved to St Albans and on to Newcastle. It was still in use late in the 20th Century as is shown in the BBC video which I linked from my article. They still had the original instruction books for the equipment marked 'Rathmines, Dublin' for a date in the 1880s, if I remember correctly.

6 Grubb brass photographic lenses were on sale at Breker Auction last year after I bought my first one. I bought one and another one was also bought on the day of the auction. Another one was bought after the auction by a member of the wider Grubb family who is known to me. I also tipped off a collector in Texas who bought the remaining 3, so all 6 Grubb lenses went to good homes. One of the later lenses in the auction an Aplanatic Doublet No 5046 from 1975 had ordinary lettering on its side and is marked 'Howard Grubb Dublin'. It is also marked 'Watson and Sons, 313 High Holborn, London Agents'. I do recall reading some material from the 'photographic press' and 'club magazines' of the day which indicated that Grubb was facing a lot of resistance from the photographic establishment in England and this may explain why he used an agent and later decided to concentrate his talents elsewhere.

I visited Thomas Grubb's grave in Mount Jerome Cemetery some months ago and I have some photos. Howard's grave is in Deansgrange Cemetery and I intend to visit that soon.

The Grubb story is a fascinating one and not just in the field of brass lenses.

William

[Steven Tribe]

I have just read the Lens Vade Mecum on Grubb. The move to England was in 1918 and was probably concerned mostly his other interests. LVM talks quite a lot about the new design/engraving and gives some 5xxx serial numbers. It does say Dublin and Howard Grubb on the late models. His production was so small and the late lenses look well produced so I think he had someone else make these. The landscape aplanatic had a good reputation, so was still a saleable article in the 1880's.

Later:

Thanks for the first-hand information - quite a rare thing these days!

[Willeica]

In my earlier post, '1975' should read '1875'.

William

[pgk]

Another for the list: 483 Grubb Dublin Patent (18”)

[Steven Tribe]

I have added what looks like a stereo pair ( 2409/2410 aplanatic D) to-day to the serial number/type listing.
As these are quite small, I must conclude that "D" lenses are not those those that cover more 8"x10", but are for the standard stereo size of the period. I remember that Dallmeyer had specific lens series that were designated "stereoscopic" during this period.

These two tiny lenses (glass diameter just over 1") were listed as two separate items. 2409 had another front lens added. there was a simplied aperture system on these D lenses.

[Two23]

I am the owner of Grubb Petzval No. 359. Looks like quarter plate, marked, "Dublin."


Kent in SD