Ben Taylor
Member
A friend at work has just show me a pair of lenses he found in the attic, and I wondered if any one here might help me identify them.
The first has two elements mounted in brass. The lens assembly moves back and forward in an outer brass mounting, there is a ratchet on this. There is a small brass plate that slides in-between the elements with a hole drilled in the middle. This can be completely removed, it is clearly to adjust the aperture (I guess you'd side in a plate with a different size hole drilled for a different aperture). There is wooden lens board (approximately 2 inch square), which this fits into. The lens is marked 'Orthopanactinic - Newton & Co, Liverpool'
The second is very similar, two element in brass, but with no adjustable aperture. It is larger (about 4 inches between the elements), and the second element can be un-screwed. It look like the lens assembly could have once moved in its outer mount, buts it's stuck now. It also has a ratchet on the inner/outer mount. It has a marking that looks like '22. Shinner St., London' although it is very warn.
Any idea what these lenses would have been used for, a large format camera, or a lantern of some kind?
The first has two elements mounted in brass. The lens assembly moves back and forward in an outer brass mounting, there is a ratchet on this. There is a small brass plate that slides in-between the elements with a hole drilled in the middle. This can be completely removed, it is clearly to adjust the aperture (I guess you'd side in a plate with a different size hole drilled for a different aperture). There is wooden lens board (approximately 2 inch square), which this fits into. The lens is marked 'Orthopanactinic - Newton & Co, Liverpool'
The second is very similar, two element in brass, but with no adjustable aperture. It is larger (about 4 inches between the elements), and the second element can be un-screwed. It look like the lens assembly could have once moved in its outer mount, buts it's stuck now. It also has a ratchet on the inner/outer mount. It has a marking that looks like '22. Shinner St., London' although it is very warn.
Any idea what these lenses would have been used for, a large format camera, or a lantern of some kind?