E. & H. T. Anthony & Co. (New York, NY)

 

Single Achromatic Lens Variation 3 (straight barrel, rotating stop) / E.A. View Lens, c.1888-c.1890's

 

In the Amateur Equipments, this lens type was referred to merely as a Single Achromatic Lens.  The lens was not advertised separately.

Notes: 

Both the Anthony E.A. View Lens Variation 2 and Anthony E.A. View Lens Variation 3 are a single achromat in a straight, nickel-plated brass barrel.  They were included in Anthony's Amateur Equipments No. 1-18, where they were referred to merely as a Single Achromatic Lens as included in the Equipments.  They were not advertised separately, although they were often pictured along with the Equipment.  The straight barrel construction would be considerably less expensive to manufacture than either the pillbox-type, Anthony E.A. View Lens Variation 1, or the cone-type, Anthony E.A. View Lens Variation 4.

The difference between Anthony E.A. View Lens Variation 2 and Anthony E.A. View Lens Variation 3 is the manner of placing stops in the light path.  The stops in Variation 2 are separate, inserted at the front of the lens, and secured with a metal ring.  The stops in Variation 3 are on a fixed wheel that rotates a choice of stops into the light path.  It is assumed that sometime during the run of Amateur Equipments, c.1882 through c.1889, probably around 1887, the rotating stop Variation 3 replaced the inserted stop Variation 2.

All variations of the Anthony E.A. View Lens is a typical single achromatic lens, in that the maximum aperture useful for photography is considerably smaller than the diameter of the glass.  Therefore, they are provided with a rather small fixed aperture at the front the barrel.  Smaller apertures, however inserted, allow the lens to be further stopped down.

References:
 

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