Dallmeyer waterhouse slots...which lens?

[Jon Wilson]

I have a set of J H Dallmeyer waterhouse slots in a leather case. I am trying to figure out which lens they fit. They have a width of 61.89mm (62mm) and a length of 65.7 mm. They have a serial number of 28760. Thanks. Jon

[Steven Tribe]

When the Dallmeyer ledger book records come on-line, you will be able to get the specification of the lens by looking up the serial number! And you can give this set a home with someone who has a similar lens - minus the stops!

The width/length isn't so interesting unless you have stops to compare them with. A more useful measure would be the internal diameter (that is, from one curved edge to another). Looking a Dallmeyer's external diameters, I would guess this is 2 3/4" - 3 1/4" barrel size. So this might be for 2C, 2B, 1A, 4D or 5D. There are a few other non-portrait objectives that are this big but I don't have barrel dimensions handy.

[Jon Wilson]

The fastest one is approximately 60mm x 54mm.

Let us know Steve when the Dallmeyer lens ledgers go on-line.

Jon

[goamules]

The fastest one is approximately 60mm x 54mm.

... when the Dallmeyer lens ledgers go on-line.

Jon

The guy that owns them, Sean, had discussed having them almost ready back in 2007. I think it's an overwhelming job for one man.

For a while I would occasionally write and he'd give you a picture of the page with your lens. But I suspect this got to be too much too, as more and more people started collecting Dallmeyers. I believe his plan was to make a CD, and sell the CD, like the Vade Mecum.

Let's not start a rumor that they are about to go online, unless Sean has said that.

[Steven Tribe]

"When the Dallmeyer ledger book records come on-line".
The records exist, are in safe hands and there is an intention of being able to access with modern technology. I have no knowledge of when this is going to happen. Like Garrett, I would expect this to be a very long job. It is something which has a resemblance to the UK census data (made every 10 years) which has handwritten lists of residents at various addresses and which took many years to make retrievable online. I assume that a chronological sequence of pages based on serial numbers, without indexing or key work seach facilities, will be the likely end product. So there will be no chance for asking "list all 8D or all objectives supplied to Shew".

[seananton]

28760 was a 15x12 Rapid Rectilinear, Dallmayer made sure that certain sizes of Waterhouse stops fitted a number of different lenses.

These stops will also fit 2B, 2B Patent, 1A patent, No.2 Rectilinear Portrait, 2C, Nos. 4,5,and 5a Wide angle Landscape, No.3 Wide Angle Rectilinear, No.4 Rapid Landscape, No.5 Rectilinear Landscape, No.3 Lantern.

[Steven Tribe]

Many thanks, Sean. Nice to see you here! I thought that there might be common stop sets for different lenses with the same barrel size. So the individual stops have no F value stamped on them - just a number perhaps?

[seananton]

The same size stops for different lenses have the appropriate stop sizes engraved for the lens with which they are sold, either Dallmeyer's own aperture notation system early on or later in towards the end of the 19th. century the normal f stop system.

But the inscriptions don't really matter as it is easy enough to calculate values for the lens with which one is using that set of stops.

The 19th.century Dallmeyer Archive will be available on DVD later this year, it has been an enormous task which I started in August 2006. It would not really be possible to put it on line as it is over three gigabytes in size.

[Steven Tribe]

That is very good news. I hope you will post here when you have sorted out the logistics of distribution/sale of the DVD. This will be exciting - not just for individual objective identification - but also for the development of knowledge in the "market share" of the various sizes within the different series and who the trade buyers were.

[steven_e007]

The 19th.century Dallmeyer Archive will be available on DVD later this year, it has been an enormous task which I started in August 2006. It would not really be possible to put it on line as it is over three gigabytes in size.

I'll look forward to that!

Where will it be announced, do you have a website or something?