Graflex.org

[jjwalker]

I keep reading about the big bertha lens in different sections of the help board and since I am new to all of this, will someone tell me what people are talking about when they say "big bertha".

thanks!

[45PSS]

A). 5' 7" (five foot seven) 475 pounds, Brunette, 94-88-125.
B). A 5 x 7 Home Portrait Graflex modified to accomadate lens from 17 inch to 60 inch (432mm to 1524mm). The lens is a permanate mount to the camera. A later version (1937) was called the "gear shift" model for the focusing lever on the side of the lens that resembled a car's gear shift. A 4 x 5 camera body could be used. All Big Bertha were custom modified Graphic/Graflex cameras. Paraphrased from Graphic Graflex Photography first edition January 1940.

Bertha was a very nice lady and fun to be with despite her size.


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The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[Les]

Actually you can blame the (now) coffee maker Krupps for the name. They made this long barreled item to send stuff over into Paris, and it wasn't coffee beans. Then the name was generalized to mean any long range cannon.

The long barreled camera had enough similarities that the name stuck, although I've seen period references calling them Howitzers as well. Graflex never officially made any Big Bertha cameras, but by the 40s they were making modified Home Portrait bodies designed to be adapted into big berthas. The Detroit News credits itself with making the first Big Bertha and making them for other newspapers. I'm sure at least several more newspapers in other areas will say the same thing. I did see one big Big Bertha with a manufacturer's name on it, but can't remember who it was. The ironic part is, if you use the full frame of the 5x7, then the 60" lens is about the same as a 200mm on a 35mm camera.

Here's some pilfered pics from corbis, they won't stay up for long. The second one is covering college baseball, the third was being used to cover the World Series at Ebbets Field.

[Les]

UPdate:

It seems that Big Bertha had a mother. Before the 5x7 HP Graflex became the standard, at least a few Naturalist Graflexes were modified for long range use.

Buried in the website of The Detroit news is an article about William Kuensel

http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=147&category=people

If you click on the "Click for more photos" and then go to photo#4 of 6 you'll see Bill with what I thought was an early Big Bertha.

Then I saw this auction

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11720&item=3814046634&rd=1

and realized they were indeed the same model camera.

Les


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"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2004-05-05 07:01 ]

[t.r.sanford]

FWIW, the "Paris Gun" (pictured above) was not the genuine "Big Bertha." That was a 420mm. howitzer make by Krupp and used against the Belgian forts during the opening phases of the war. Its users knew it as the "Gamma mortar."

During WWII, Kodak made a 48-inch f:8 telephoto for aerial cameras. These do show up, every now and then, and would make a nice accessory for a large-format reflex, especially for someone who owns a water buffalo to help transport the thing.

[Dan Fromm]

[Les]

Dan,
It's a bit big for a mini pace and certainly would be a bear to hand hold, or just to hold, but B&L made a 19" f2 or 2.8

[jjwalker]

Christ!, thats the most replys I have ever got for a question I posted and it was darn interesting too. Thanks everyone! JW

[Arthurwg]

There's a Big Bertha Graflex HP on display in the window of Fotocare camera shop in NYC. Owner says he has two others as well. This one was used to cover baseball games, I believe.

[pv17vv]

My Grandmother was called Bertha and no she didn't find it funny !!!!!

But she also told me Krupp's toy was nicknamed after Germany's Emperor's wife's name.
Se non e vero…
Georges

[David A. Goldfarb]

They've also got one up on a high shelf at Lens and Repro in NYC.

As I understand it, the one set up for covering baseball had two focus stops--one for home plate and one for first base--so the photographer could always be ready to pivot and catch the action.

[JoePhoto]

I can't find any of my photos of Big Berthas (not the golf clubs) but here's one of my great-great uncle Les Jones who used to shoot for the Boston Herald. I've seen a great photo someone took of him at Fenway Park while he was laying in what looked like a cement pipe (didn't have a darkcloth?) with a Big Bertha. If I can find some photos of the cameras I'll post them. The last time I went to the camera sale for the Photographic Historical Society of New England there was a guy who was selling one that didn't get his reserve on eBay. The next sale is in April so maybe it'll still be available. Here's Uncle Les on his way out...

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If the best can't be had let the worst continue....

[JoePhoto]

I found the photos I was looking for but not all of them:

>

_________________
If the best can't be had let the worst continue....

[semihemi]

[quote]
On 2004-05-05 06:15, Les wrote:
"Actually you can blame the (now) coffee maker Krupps for the name. They made this long barreled item to send stuff over into Paris, and it wasn't coffee beans. Then the name was generalized to mean any long range cannon. "

Never mind the Big Bertha. The deadliest of all was the "French 75," which was served at an establishment of considerable repute on Nantucket Island in the 80's. I don't recall the recipe, but the damn thing caused many a poor seafaring lad to experience the Yankee equivalent of Johny Cash' immortal words -

I went to sleep in Freeport
Woke up in New Orleans
Wondering why the hell I'm wanted
In some town halfway between

Oh, those were the days...

[tsgrimm]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7600515261&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Just sold on the auction site.