"Nicola Perscheid (3 December 1864 – 12 May 1930) was a German photographer, primarily known for his artistic portrait photography. He developed the "Perscheid lens", a soft focus lens for large-format portrait photography. Born as Nikolaus Perscheid in Moselweiß (de) near Koblenz, Germany, where he also went to school. At the age of 15, he began an apprenticeship as a photographer. Subsequently, Perscheid earned his living as an itinerant photographer..... Percheid had several students who would later become renowned photographers themselves. Arthur Benda studied with him from 1899 to 1902, and joined him again in 1906 as his assistant for experimenting with color photography. He left Perscheid in 1907; together with Dora Kallmus he went to Vienna and worked in her studio Atelier d'Ora, which he eventually took over and that continued to exist under the name d'Ora-Benda until 1965. Dora Philippine Kallmus herself also had studied from January to May 1907 at Perscheid's. Henry B. Goodwin, who later emigrated to Sweden and in 1913 organized Perscheid's course there, studied with Perscheid in 1903. 1924 the Swedish photografer Curt Götlin (1900–1993) studied at Perscheid atelje. Perscheid also influenced the Japanese photographer Toragorō Ariga.... The Perscheid lens was developed around 1920. It is a soft-focus lens with a wide depth field, produced by Emil Busch AG after the specifications of Perscheid. The lens is designed especially for large-format portrait photography. ....Towards the end of the 1920s, Perscheid had severe financial problems. In autumn 1929 he had to sub-rent his apartment to be able to pay his own rent. Shortly afterwards, he suffered a stroke, and was hospitalized in spring of 1930. While he was at the hospital, his belongings, including his cameras and photographic plates, but also all his furniture were auctioned off to pay his debts. Two weeks after the auction, on 12 May 1930, Perscheid died at the Charité hospital in Berlin." Wikipedi undefined

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