I picked up this odd duck of a lens the other day. It is a Parvin Tele-Photo , Pat. Febry 21-93, "6 1/2 x 8 1/2" and was marketed by Williams Brown and Earle of Philadelphia as sole agents.
Google books has a couple of mentions. In one, an 1894 mention that The Smithsonian tested the lens and bought some for the Astro-Physical Observatory. Another is an 1893 mention in the Jewellers Circular and Horological Review mentioning that the Parvin takes "a picture nearly 6-fold larger than a rapid rectilinear from the same standpoint".
Albert Parvin received the Merit Award in Engineering for 1895 from the Franklin Institute for this lens design.
Nothing in the Lens Vade Mecum.
Looks to be about 16" focal length, and is cut for stops. The internal ledge for the stops restricts this to around f25 or so.
Does anyone have any additional info about this thing? Thanks!
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