I found out a bit of the history behind my new brass lens. The extremely rare lens I bought a few days back I bought a few days back. It was owned by a rather famous photographer, Carl Vandyk, and it might have used to photograph royal figures, and other famous folk in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Carl Vandyk was a major English portrait photographer dating from the end of the 1800s up until sometime in the 1920s (he died in 1931 age 80). He seems to have photographed most of the royal families of Europe-Asia and many of the famous people of his day.
The lens might have been used to photograph Queen Victoria, King George V, wild west star Buffalo Bill Cody, singer Enrico Caruso, the Shah of Persia and the King of Siam (the Thai king). The Thai connection is rather strange, considering how much time I have photographed in Thailand over the last 20 years. It seems I will always find a connection to Thailand, somehow, some way..
Here is some of the back story, lets start off with the email I got from the seller, followed by the Wikipedia write up on the lens early owner British photographer Carl Vandyk.
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Hi Gerry.
Do not worry, the rear glass sits very well. This lens was previously owned by an outstanding British photographer Carl VanDyke.
My grandfather bought it in London in the forties of the last century together with other lenses and cameras owned by the VanDyke.
I suppose that a mechanic made him such a patent to easily change the rear glass.
Previously, was still the second rear glass but it was broken 10 years ago. The second was assembled in the same way.
Last year I sold a nice 12 x 10 inch camera , which was owned by Carl VanDyke.
Maybe you saw it on ebay auction. This camera was sold for £ 6000.
-----
Best regards, L---
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Carl Vandyk's Wikipedia page:
Carl became a British citizen on 4 February 1886.[5]Carl Vandyk (17 January 1851 – 18 November 1931) was a successful London photographer[1] born in Bunde, Germany. From 1882 he owned a studio at Gloucester Road taking images of the British Royal Family including Queen Victoria, King George V as well as other notables such as the King of Siam, the Shah of Persia,Buffalo Bill and Enrico Caruso.[2][3] From 1901 the studio moved to Buckingham Palace Road, London.[4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Vandyk
Finally here are some of Carl VanDyke's photos, and a link to the National Portrait Gallery collection of his work in London. I was at the National Portrait Gallery in London a few years back, a truly amazing place.
National Portrait Gallery - Carl Vandyk images
National Portrait Gallery - Vandyk Studio images
Now of course the trick is to continue to make good pics with this historic lens. I do not know exactly who Vandyk photographed with it exactly, but I will endeavor to use the lens to make my subjects royalty in their own right. I want to, as always, photograph the greatness, the humanity we all share. I might not be photographing the Queen Victoria, or the King of Siam but I am photographing our common shared humanity, equally as beautiful and as important.
Note* I found out the history of this lens long after I had purchased it. It was probably 4 or 5 emails post sale that the seller in Poland told me of Carl Vandyk and the history behind the lens. How the lens was bought by his grandfather etc.
In an earlier blog soon after I had won the auction (a mistake, basically an accident on my part) I wrote about the gods of photographic fate possibly leading me to the lens, maybe there is something to that! Maybe it is fate that I could use this on the "Oh! Canada" project. This piece of photographic history may have first been used to photograph Queen Victoria, later it may be used to photograph the Queens of Northern Canada! (or at least that is the story I can tell myself, motivate myself with).
Update* I was thinking, no matter how my future with the lens works out, it is super cool to be connected to photographic history. There is a real beauty there! A highly successful photographer form London and a security guard from Canada using the same lens. The past and the future, flowing together making photographs! Wonderful!!
Carl Vandyk was a major English portrait photographer dating from the end of the 1800s up until sometime in the 1920s (he died in 1931 age 80). He seems to have photographed most of the royal families of Europe-Asia and many of the famous people of his day.
The lens might have been used to photograph Queen Victoria, King George V, wild west star Buffalo Bill Cody, singer Enrico Caruso, the Shah of Persia and the King of Siam (the Thai king). The Thai connection is rather strange, considering how much time I have photographed in Thailand over the last 20 years. It seems I will always find a connection to Thailand, somehow, some way..
 |
| The lens that I bought from L--- in Poland that used to belong to Carl Vandyk |
----------------------------------------------------
Hi Gerry.
Do not worry, the rear glass sits very well. This lens was previously owned by an outstanding British photographer Carl VanDyke.
My grandfather bought it in London in the forties of the last century together with other lenses and cameras owned by the VanDyke.
I suppose that a mechanic made him such a patent to easily change the rear glass.
Previously, was still the second rear glass but it was broken 10 years ago. The second was assembled in the same way.
Last year I sold a nice 12 x 10 inch camera , which was owned by Carl VanDyke.
Maybe you saw it on ebay auction. This camera was sold for £ 6000.
-----
Best regards, L---
---------------------------------------------------------
Carl Vandyk's Wikipedia page:
Carl Vandyk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Carl Vandyk | |
|---|---|
Carl Vandyk, c. 1900s
| |
| Born | 17 January 1851 London |
| Died | 18 November 1931 (aged 80) London |
| Occupation | photographer |
Carl became a British citizen on 4 February 1886.[5]Carl Vandyk (17 January 1851 – 18 November 1931) was a successful London photographer[1] born in Bunde, Germany. From 1882 he owned a studio at Gloucester Road taking images of the British Royal Family including Queen Victoria, King George V as well as other notables such as the King of Siam, the Shah of Persia,Buffalo Bill and Enrico Caruso.[2][3] From 1901 the studio moved to Buckingham Palace Road, London.[4]
Carl's son Herbert Vandyk (1879–1943) took over the family business in 1913 after studying in London, Berlin and Paris and went on to accumulate 22 Royal Warrants.[4][2]
Carl Vandyk owned 3 London hotels[2] close to his studios:
- The Rembrandt Hotel, Thurloe Place, London SW
- The Rubens Hotel, Buckingham Palace Road, London SW
- The Vandyke Hotel, Cromwell Road, London SW7
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Vandyk
Finally here are some of Carl VanDyke's photos, and a link to the National Portrait Gallery collection of his work in London. I was at the National Portrait Gallery in London a few years back, a truly amazing place.
National Portrait Gallery - Carl Vandyk images
National Portrait Gallery - Vandyk Studio images
Now of course the trick is to continue to make good pics with this historic lens. I do not know exactly who Vandyk photographed with it exactly, but I will endeavor to use the lens to make my subjects royalty in their own right. I want to, as always, photograph the greatness, the humanity we all share. I might not be photographing the Queen Victoria, or the King of Siam but I am photographing our common shared humanity, equally as beautiful and as important.
Note* I found out the history of this lens long after I had purchased it. It was probably 4 or 5 emails post sale that the seller in Poland told me of Carl Vandyk and the history behind the lens. How the lens was bought by his grandfather etc.
In an earlier blog soon after I had won the auction (a mistake, basically an accident on my part) I wrote about the gods of photographic fate possibly leading me to the lens, maybe there is something to that! Maybe it is fate that I could use this on the "Oh! Canada" project. This piece of photographic history may have first been used to photograph Queen Victoria, later it may be used to photograph the Queens of Northern Canada! (or at least that is the story I can tell myself, motivate myself with).
Update* I was thinking, no matter how my future with the lens works out, it is super cool to be connected to photographic history. There is a real beauty there! A highly successful photographer form London and a security guard from Canada using the same lens. The past and the future, flowing together making photographs! Wonderful!!
