General Information

Serial #

ES839

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

GLASS OPTICS; METAL LENS HOUSING, BOARD & SHUTTER. SYNTHETIC LENS CAP. BLACK CLOTH TAPE COVERS FRONT RIM OF LENS.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

15.2 cm

Width

15.2 cm

Height

8.5 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Photography

Category

Still camera parts

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Kodak

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New York

City

Rochester

Context

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New York

Period

THIS LENS PRESUMABLY USED LATE 1940S+. NOT USED AFTER 1992.

Canada

PART OF A LARGE COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT USED BY YOUSUF KARSH, CANADA'S INTERNATIONALLY HONOUREDPORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER. FROM 1932 TO 1992, MR. KARSH OPERATED FROM HIS PRINCIPLE STUDIO IN OTTAWA. HE ALSO MAINTAINED STUDIOS IN NYC AND LONDON, ENGLAND. IN 1999 MR. KARSH WAS NAMED ONE OF THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE OF THE CENTURY. HIS PRINTS & NEGATIVES, AND PERSONAL PAPERS ARE IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES.

Function

USED TO FORM IMAGES ON PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM BY FOCUSING RAYS OF LIGHT PASSING THROUGH IT.

Technical

KARSH'S FAVORITE LENS WAS THE 14" EKTAR, OF WHICH HE OWNED AT LEAST TWO (SEE ALSO 970340). BOTH ARE EARLY EXAMPLES: THESE TESSAR TYPE LENSES WERE FIRST MANUFACTURED IN THE LATE 1940S, AND BOTH OF MR. KARSH'S DATE TO 1947. THEY PROVIDE EXCELLENT DEFINITION, AND ARE SURFACE-TREATED ("LUMINISED") TO IMPROVE CLARITY AND BRILLIANCE IN B&W NEGS, AND COLOUR PURITY IN COLOUR TRANSPARENCIES. 14" LENS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH 8X10 FILM, ACCOMODATING MAXIMUM APERATURE WITH ALLOWANCE FOR FULL USE OF RISING & FALLING FRONT AND SWING BACK CAMERA. [REF.1, S.I. FILE 970340]

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

"ES839 [symbol- 'L' within a circle] Kodak Commercial Ektar f:6.3 14 In." incised in ring surrounding lens. [logo] "ILEX"/ ILEX OPTICAL CO. ROCHESTER, N.Y./ No. 5 UNIVERSAL SYNCHRO " appears on shutter faceplate. f-stops, shutter speeds, etc. also marked. " 10" " handwritten in white grease pencil on lens board back; " 10 " also handwritten on back, in red./ PT lens cap reads " Canon " on face; " C- 72mm/ Canon/ Japan " on reverse.

Missing

NONE.

Finish

BLACK RING SURROUNDS LENS FACE. BRUSHED SILVER METAL LENS HOUSING. SHUTTTER HOUSING ALSO SILVER METAL. LENS BOARD IS CAST METAL, PAINTED LIGHT GREY ON FRONT, FLAT BLACK ON REVERSE. BLACK TAPE HAS BEEN APPLIED TO FRONT EDGE OF LENS HOUSING. PT LENS CAP IS BLACK.

Decoration

N/A