PAGE
TWO
BY THOMAS YANUL, COPYRIGHT
ABOVE
- RAU (LEFT) WITH HIS PAN CAMERA SPECIAL BACK,
WHICH
GIVES A FLAT FILM WIDE FIELD VIEW. IF THE SAME 15" LENS
WAS
USED FOR THE FLAT BACK FILM (OR POSSIBLY PLATE) ITS
NOT
CERTAIN YET WHAT THE ANGLE OF VIEW WAS.
COPIES
OF THESE TWO PHOTOS AND OTHERS
WERE
SENT TO ME BY WILLIAM RAU HADEN, RAU'S GRANDSON
RAU
AT NIAGERA FALLS WITH HIS PAN CAMERA,
A
MODIFICATION OF THE MOESSARD CAMERA,
SUPPOSEDLY
18X48" NEGATIVE.
AS
A SWING LENS CAMERA BUILDER,
I
HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE CLAIM BY RAU
THAT
THE IMAGE COVERED OVER 165 DEGREES.
THE
LENS AS SHOWN IN THE PHOTO IS ACTUALLY
LOCATED
OUTSIDE OF THE 180 DEGREE ARC
OF
THE THE CAMERA WHICH MEANS IN MY
ESTIMATION
THAT THE ACTUAL VIEW INCLUDED
ON
THE NEGATIVE WOULD BE MUCH LESS THAN
ADVERTISED.
THESE IMAGES STILL NEED SOME
REFERENCE
WORK TO FIGURE OUT THE ANGLE.
DESPITE
SUCH DIFFERENCES, I CONSIDER RAU
ONE
OF THE MORE IMPORTANT FIGURES IN THE
RECORDING
OF AMERICAN AND FOREIGN HISTORIES.
RAU
PENNSYLVANIA RR PHOTO CAR, #2784, THOUGH REAR OF PRINT STATED #9373
POSSIBLY
ENGINE NUMBER ? MOST LIKELY 1892 IN PENNSYLVANIA, AREA OF
SWITCHBACK
PHOTO. PROBABLY SHOT FOR PRR CHICAGO COLUMBIAN EXPO EXHIBIT.
RAU
IS SETTING UP PAN CAMERA WITH WIDE FIELD FLAT PLATE BACK.
PHOTO
COURTESY WILLIAM RAU HADEN.
BELOW
- CLOSER SHOT OF RAU AND CAMERA
AGAIN
SHOWN WITH THE FLAT PLATE WIDE FIELD ADAPTER IN PLACE
DETAIL
OF RAU PAN CAMERA FRONT
APPEARS
TO HAVE A RISE AND FALL,
AND
WHAT APPEARS TO BE A PACKARD
TYPE
SHUTTER ?