Help identifying this lens

[Steven Tribe]

I assumed it was the Dallmeyer "layout" for their RR - but I didn't have a copy of their long-lived engraving style around to confirm it 100%. The inclusion of "PATENT" suggested that someone has the real article in front of them.

Perhaps the real Dallmeyer 39901 is also a RR? But I don't know is Sean (the guardian of the Dallmeyer ledgers) is interested in Dallmeyer copies - but he might be able to confirm?

Tom, I hope you find some of this interesting! It is likely to be good performer and, if you are thinking about selling, there is always interest in a professional forgery/misrepresentation of an innovative lens design.

[Andrew Plume]

Tom

As Steven said, 'William Brown' is not an unusual name and fwiw, I can chip in and add this

a William Brown in 1873 was living at 41 Kennington Oval London (now SE11); and

a Wm Brown was shown as being of 16 Kennington Oval from 1865 to 1866

my source for this is:

'A Directory of London Photographers 1841-1908' by Michael Pritchard

admittedly this may be a long shot but I thought that I'd post this information - Michael may possibly be able to help you - here's a link - http://www.mpritchard.com/

regards

andrew

[Tom Sobota]

Thanks to all that took the interest and the time to comment on my question.

After reading all your posts, I'm no less puzzled than before, except that there now seem to be more possibilities than I thought at first:

a. The lens is genuine but the maker disappeared from history. Against this, the high serial number, the "8x10" American style, and the striking similarity to the engravings on a Dallmeyer lens as submitted by Barry.

b. The lens is an anonymous RR, which has been engraved by:
b.1 An american dealer, or
b.2 The (also American) owner.

For now this is enough for me, perhaps in the future more information will surface somehow.

Steven, of course I find all this discussion interesting! I have collected several antique lenses during the years, which I also use, and I try to learn about them but I'm not an expert by a long shot, so all the information I gather in this forum is invaluable for me.

This particular lens was bought more than 30 years ago in South America (Buenos Aires I think) but I don't know its previous history. In general these goods were imported from the U.S. but also from Europe, and there were also local lens builders. I have an Euryscope marked as built in Argentina, but this one is perfectly identified as to the builder. The serial nr. is also smaller, in the four thousands.

For the moment I'm not thinking of selling this lens, it has surely a larger affective value for me than what I could get for it. I would sell it immediately if, as Garrett postulates, it has been used by Ansel Adams to photograph El Gran Capitán from Hernandez, New Mexico ;-)

Andrew, when I go to London I usually stay at a friends' place very near the Oval. Next time I'll go and have a look at those addresses you sent. The probability of finding something is nil, but hey ... and thanks for the reference to Michael Pritchard.

Tom

[Andrew Plume]

Hi Tom

thanks for your comments, very grateful

as to the Argentinian connection, don't forget that there was (and still is) plenty of trading between there and the UK and a good deal of British people settled in Argentina

best regards

andrew

[Steven Tribe]

I was just checking how dominant the "10x8" was in the UK by looking through the advert sections at the back of books from the 1890's published there. I could only find a single "8x10". An advert for Carbutt's Dry Plates - with an address at Wayne Junction, Philadelphia, US.

So I would think the solution lies in the New World.