The Rare Guinness Branded 1860s Globe Lens

Here’s another obscure moment in photographic history … The invention of the globe wide angle lens (yes … it’s real) was an important development in photography. While the lens is highly coveted by collectors and rare, what’s not known is that the 1860s optics maker sought funding from corporate sponsors to offset manufacturing costs.

The ultimate in sponsorship is seen in NASCAR; you can barely see cars’ paint.

Anyhow … here is evidence that corporate funding attempts stretched back to the early years of photography.

Sadly as with the digitized 1883 Pearsall Compact Camera, this effort to create a nice stereo set with corporate funding was also a dismal failure. It ended up that Americans didn’t have an appetite for heavier stouts!

Oh well. (PS … actual globe lenses are very, very cool.)