Antique Brass ‘Taylor & Hobson’ Cooke Process Lens (12 x 10 In. R.R.)

This rare, large, very early, British, antique brass format ‘Rapid Rectilinear’ lens was made by ‘Taylor Taylor & Hobson Ltd’ in Leicester and retailed by ‘J. Barnett & Co’, in Johannesburg. The impressed details on the lens read: ‘TAYLOR TAYLOR & HOBSON LTD’ ‘Leicester & London’ ‘No. 16912’ and ’12 x 10 Inches R.R.’ ‘Eq. focus 15.9 Inches’ ‘Sold by J. Barnett & Co. Johannesburg’. The lens appears to be in great condition and measures 10cm in length with a diameter of 8cm at its widest and weighs 595g.

NOTE: ‘Taylor Taylor & Hobson’ was founded in Leicester in 1886, a renowned British precision engineering company who developed and produced the first ‘Cooke Triplet Lenses’ and by 1939, supplied 80% of Hollywood’s Lenses.