Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

  1. #1
    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Stuck inside of Tucson with the Neverland Blues again...
    Posts
    6,268

    Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

    I suppose those of us with an interest in such things have been watching it for a while...

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN:IT&ih=019

    Well, after a 70-hour week and a couple of strong India Pale Ales when I got home, I broke down and did the deed...

    Sooooo... has anyone ever even heard of one of these?
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Posts
    954

    Re: Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

    Burke and James commissioned a series of lenses manufactured for them by Boyer. Among these were the last Petzvals ever commissioned as well as f8 lenses. They were almost always fitted with Wollensak shutters and known as Rembrandt lenses. They were made in 10" and 14" in length, and sometimes the name Royal was associated with them. However, the particular lens you bought is unknown to me. Petzvals are not anastigmats. It is possible that the Royal portrait lens was a special portrait lens commissioned by Burke and James and probably based on one of Boyer's anastigmatic designs or possibly was B&J's reuse of some new old stock lens elements that they had on hand. Hope you get interesting results with it.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Gresham OR
    Posts
    1,374

    Re: Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

    Mark, Two Indian Pale Ales is all it takes?
    Looks gorgeus though but you need to show us something now.
    Get that sceleton out of the closet please. Or perhaps something from the Scottish Highlands. Congrats on your purchase.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Hamilton, Canada
    Posts
    1,881

    Re: Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

    I was watching this too and searched for what I could find which was only this. Maybe this will help the real experts help you
    Regards
    Bill

    http://historiccamera.com/cgi-bin/li...ogin=wollensak

    in 1905, The Wollensak Optical Company purchased the Rochester Lens Company which manufactured the popular 'Royal' anastigmat lens.

  5. #5
    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Stuck inside of Tucson with the Neverland Blues again...
    Posts
    6,268

    Re: Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

    Thanks for the info so far, everyone! I don't know whether this is related to the original Royal Anastigmat or not, as that one was a 1905 era lens, and this one must be post WWII, as it's coated. Possibly something B&J produced, but there's no reference to it in their 1947 B&J catalog, which lists quite a few pictorial/portrait lenses. I don't think it could be much later than '47, being in a Betax shutter...

    The little gold star on the front rim, which I presume is an indicator of it's being coated (like Wollensak's circled W, Kodak's circled L, and all the various colored dots) seems familiar, but I can't place it...

    We'll see what it does when it gets here. Actually, it might be a while, as I'm struggling to keep up in my teaching job, and the building permits for my studio addition to the house just came through, and construction should start in March...

    But summer will be here soon...
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Van Buren, Arkansas
    Posts
    1,941

    Re: Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Sawyer View Post
    Thanks for the info so far, everyone! I don't know whether this is related to the original Royal Anastigmat or not, as that one was a 1905 era lens, and this one must be post WWII, as it's coated. Possibly something B&J produced, but there's no reference to it in their 1947 B&J catalog, which lists quite a few pictorial/portrait lenses. I don't think it could be much later than '47, being in a Betax shutter...
    Burke & James had an operation going for many years called the "Burke & James Lens Bank". This was an outgrowth of the "war spoils" of WW 2, where a ton of lenses were acquired from the defeated countries in the War.

    Burke & James would take lens elements and complete lenses, finish them, coat the elements and then offered them for sale. I have a Wollensak Rapid Rectilinear from the early part of the century that is nicely coated that I acquired from their close-out sales sheets published in Shutterbug Ads in the 1970's. So, don't assume that just because a lens is coated, it is post WW 2.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Dec 2000
    Location
    Tonopah, Nevada, USA
    Posts
    6,334

    Re: Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

    That one has had me curious for a long time. Mostly because with all of my pictorial lenses the show is over by f8. That makes this one even more tantalizing. How did they get a pictorial effect at that aperture? What is the lens formula? Now I don't have to spend a lot of money to find out. Thanks Mark!!

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    8,469

    Re: Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

    Quote Originally Posted by Toyon View Post
    Burke and James commissioned a series of lenses manufactured for them by Boyer. Among these were the last Petzvals ever commissioned as well as f8 lenses. They were almost always fitted with Wollensak shutters and known as Rembrandt lenses. They were made in 10" and 14" in length, and sometimes the name Royal was associated with them. However, the particular lens you bought is unknown to me. Petzvals are not anastigmats. It is possible that the Royal portrait lens was a special portrait lens commissioned by Burke and James and probably based on one of Boyer's anastigmatic designs or possibly was B&J's reuse of some new old stock lens elements that they had on hand. Hope you get interesting results with it.
    Why do you believe that B&J bought lenses from Boyer? Wouldn't a US maker be a more likely supplier for them?

  9. #9
    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Stuck inside of Tucson with the Neverland Blues again...
    Posts
    6,268

    Re: Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

    Quote Originally Posted by Gene McCluney View Post
    Burke & James had an operation going for many years called the "Burke & James Lens Bank". This was an outgrowth of the "war spoils" of WW 2, where a ton of lenses were acquired from the defeated countries in the War.

    Burke & James would take lens elements and complete lenses, finish them, coat the elements and then offered them for sale. I have a Wollensak Rapid Rectilinear from the early part of the century that is nicely coated that I acquired from their close-out sales sheets published in Shutterbug Ads in the 1970's. So, don't assume that just because a lens is coated, it is post WW 2.
    I'm leaning towards agreeing that this is a B&J, but we may never know for sure. But I'm thinking that this lens was at least assembled after WWII, as the front ring is engraved specifically for this lens, and that little gold star indicates the coating (I presume). I doubt they would re-engrave or create a whole new front ring or mount for an old lens. But just guessing...

    Wish I had been around for that lens bank close out. Looking through the lens section in their 1947 catalog had me daydreaming about time-travel... Hypergons for $37.50, all sorts of portrait lenses, petzvals, rapid rectilinears...
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

  10. #10
    Mark Sawyer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Stuck inside of Tucson with the Neverland Blues again...
    Posts
    6,268

    Re: Royal Pictorial Anastigmat???

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Galli View Post
    That one has had me curious for a long time. Mostly because with all of my pictorial lenses the show is over by f8. That makes this one even more tantalizing. How did they get a pictorial effect at that aperture? What is the lens formula? Now I don't have to spend a lot of money to find out. Thanks Mark!!
    I'll keep you informed! Yes, the f/8 is the darkest production soft focus lens (if that's what it is) I've heard of. And I have no idea what formula it is, maybe a Tessar? It could be the greatest pictorial lens ever made...

    Or it could just be left-over mis-matched elements that didn't work out, so they called it a "Royal Pictorial", and sold it to whatever sucker was dumb enough to fall for it... and it still suckered me royally fifty years later!

    We'll see...
    "I love my Verito lens, but I always have to sharpen everything in Photoshop..."

Similar Threads

  1. Need information: Kodak Anastigmat 4.5/124mm
    By Patrik Roseen in forum Lenses & Lens Accessories
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 31-Oct-2007, 17:26
  2. Rapid Rectilinear & Anastigmat lens testing
    By wclavey in forum Lenses & Lens Accessories
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 22-Jun-2007, 08:59
  3. Pictorial Photography Exhibit
    By Howard Berg in forum Announcements
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 19-Mar-2006, 07:38
  4. How about the coverage of Eastman anastigmat lens?
    By qiutaolee in forum Cameras & Camera Accessories
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 3-Nov-2004, 21:06
  5. Who made the lens Royal Anastigmat 75mm?
    By Jon Bond in forum Lenses & Lens Accessories
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 6-May-2004, 11:30

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •