Englebert "Bert" Langenbacher
My great grandfathers Kodak No. 4 Cartridge Plate Camera, Series D from around 1912, fitted with a Bausch & Lomb lens and Unicum shutter.
My 4x5 Toyo mounted with my great grandfathers lens.
History in Focus is a quiet exploration of Noblesville’s historic homes and buildings, sparked by a deeply personal connection to the past. Using my great-grandfather Englebert “Bert” Langenbacher’s 1912 Kodak lens on my modern 4x5 Toyo field camera, I found myself literally seeing the world through his “eye.”
The first image I took and developed was of the HCAA’s Birdie Gallery. It felt like a fitting beginning since it is where I built the darkroom that made this work possible. When I looked at the Birdie Gallery on the ground glass for the first time, it hit me that I was seeing things just like Bert did more than a century ago. I wasn't just using his lens; I was sharing his way of seeing. For a brief moment, it felt like we were sharing the same view, connected through time.
Each one-of-a-kind print in this series is the result of a slow, deliberate process that mirrors the quiet endurance of these buildings. The hands-on work I put into making these photographs is not so different from what Bert did with the same lens all those years ago.
Because these are direct positive prints, the images appear reversed. This subtle shift invites viewers to see familiar places in a new way. Rather than chase dramatic scenes or perfect light, I stepped back to see these structures as whole characters, silent witnesses to change and memory.
History in Focus is a personal exploration of how places, family, and memory can connect across time.
Images for my project.
HCAA's Birdie Gallery
Noblesville Creates Campus
Noblesville Masonic Lodge #57
Images Bert took with his large format camera over a hundred years ago.
