21. Telescopes & Optics

21.06  TELESCOPE TRIPOD.  Genuine early 19th century table tripod for a premium quality library telescope of the period.  This authentic, heavy solid brass tripod is of English origin with lovely Queen Anne cabriolet tripod legs which support a gradually tapered strut.   This strut supports the telescope mount at the top.  The mount is fully articulated with train and elevation functions which are smooth and tight with no play – as required of such a quality instrument.   24 ½ inches long overall.  19 inches tall as configured.  The footprint is 14 ¼ inches on the three legs.   Weight 8 pounds.   Outstanding original condition in a high polished brass finish with preservation coating.  Guaranteed to be over 100 years old.   695

A telescope adapted to this tripod, will easily double in value.

21.85  U.S. NAVY QUARTERMASTER’s  SPYGLASS.  Authentic World War II era spyglass of the type used by bridge personnel underway and the officer to the deck in port.  This high quality optical device is marked “U.S. NAVY BU. SHIPS QM. 16-POWER MK.1 NO. 24068 / 1942” on the eyepiece end.  The eyepiece is knurled to enable focusing from -6 to plus 6 diopters, which it does very smoothly.  The long tapered barrel is of brass covered in a faux leather material.  The large clear objective lens is housed in it blackened brass retainer in perfect condition.   It provides an upright image of high magnification with some small specks noticeable in the field.  This spyglass measures 31 inches long by 3 inches wide on the objective end.  It is complete in it original felt-lined dove-tailed oak box with brass hinges and closures.  The inlaid brass maker’s label reads “Kollmorgen Optical Corp. 16-POWER QM. SPYGLASS U.S.N. BU. SHIPS Serial No. 24068.” The box measures 32 ¼ inches long, 4 ¾ inches wide and 4 ¾ inches high.  Overall cosmetic condition is “excellent."  Price Request Back to Top

“QM” stands for Quarter Master, those sailors whose rate comprised shipboard activities such as navigation, lookouts, timekeeping and underway operations.

21.04  ANTIQUE TELESCOPE.  Very scarce octagonal barrel captain’s spyglass dating from the early 18th century.  It is a genuine relic from the early days of sail made in England which features a long 8-side barrel carved from a single piece of rich mahogany.  This old sea veteran has several distinctive features which reveal its great age.  It has the early form reverse taper characteristic of telescopes manufactured from the 1680's.  The objective end with traditional brass collar has a sliding lens cover housing its single piece objective lens measuring only 7/8ths inches in diameter!  The draw tube contains only three (not the usual 4) erecting lenses.  These single element lenses are held in by threaded retainers, not rolled in as with later 18th and 19th century telescopes.  The ocular consists of a later knurled brass eye cup with built-in pivoting dust cover.  Another early aspect is the fact that the draw tube slides in and out of the barrel freely with no stop.  In combination the all original lens system provides a magnified image with the telltale “chromatic fringe” characteristic of the earliest telescopes.  Cosmetically it is in outstanding original condition with no dents cracks or other flaws – just great old age.  25 inches long closed and 30 ½ inches long extended.  A beautiful example approximately 300 years old. Certainly a museum piece!  Price Request

The technology of lens making and the grinding of optical glass was in its infancy at the time this telescope was made.  Glass, without occlusions was hard to make.  Accordingly, lens makers reverted to small, thin glass lenses which could be enhanced by increasing their focal lenth.  The result was the charateristic long telesope barrel with very small objective lens.  But Peter Dolland's patent of the achromatic lens in 1751 changed telescope manufacturing for the ages.

21.03   U.S. NAVY TRIPOD TELESCOPE.   Absolutely the ultimate in U.S. Naval optics, this is a pre-World War II vintage flag bridge telescope.  A precious few such telescopes were also configured for exploratory landing party use and were mounted to their rarely found U.S. Navy terrestrial tripods..  Because of the stresses and abuse that such arduous use inflicted, few survived.  Represented here is a very scarce original example in virtually perfect condition in all respects!  Made of heavy solid brass this telescope has the finest state-of-the-art optics of its time produced by the highly respected Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. as marked on the silver maker’s plaque on top of the barrel:  “SHIP’s TELESCOPE Mk I MOD.  BU. SHIP’S U.S. NAVY (N) 255, 1940  B & L OPT CO.”  The barrel has two sighting pins mounted on top and a built-in sun shade protecting the 3 inch objective lens.   A large handle is attached to the left side for conveniently training and elevating.  A set of internal rotating filters are provided for maximum clarity in sunlit, hazy or low light conditions.   They are selected by means of a knurled brass knob just below the eyepiece.  The ocular provides a 28X image of exceptional clarity and brightness.  Focusing is accomplished by turning the knurled adjustment ring with a range of -4 to +2 diopters in ¼ increments.  The telescope body is supported by its extremely heavy thick bronze collar with trunnions suspended in the equally heavy solid bronze yoke.  Removal of the telescope when not in use is made by loosening the hinged trunnion caps with knurled locking lugs.  The yoke has a stout bronze support spindle which fits snugly into the tripod “spider,” complete with bearing and even a zerk grease fitting!  The end of the spindle is finished off with an extra large brass cap nut.  The yoke bears a silver maker’s tag reading, “MOUNT For SHIP’s TELESCOPE Mk I Mod.  BU. SHIP’S 1940 B & L OPT. CO.”  the spider is also solid bronze and is marked in high relief “U.S. NAVY Tripod model 660 U.S. Metal Products Co., New York.”  A brass collar fits over the spindle allowing the height of eye to be raised or lowered by 5 inches.  The high quality tripod legs, made of finest hardwood maple have all brass fittings and are tipped with bronze “feet.”   A central brass chain allows for splaying the legs to different widths.  This feature allows for further height adjustment and stability.  The legs are detachable from the spider by means of large brass butterfly wing nuts.  The barrel of the telescope measures 28 ½ inches long as pictured with protective screw-on ocular cover.  The barrel is 4 ¾ inches in diameter.  The entire assembly stands 64 ½ inches tall as shown.  This measurement is with the 5 inch height adjusting collar inserted.   The footprint of the tripod as shown is 29 inches between each leg.  The condition, both cosmetically and functionally of the entire unit is nothing short of spectacular -- particularly in light of the fact it is over 75 years old! At the time of its manufacture, this unit cost the Government more than the price of a car. Serious inquiries only please. Price Request Back to Top

21.79 EXTRA FANCY VICTORIAN ERA STEREO VIEWER AND MAGNIFIER.  This beautiful, high quality optical instrument is as decorative as it is functional.  It consists of three-tiers of ebonized hardwood profusely engraved with floral decorations embellish in gold.  On the top front is a large monocular lens for viewing photographs in detail.  Below it a pair of oculars are for viewing stereo cards.   A height-adjustable pierced wooden support mounted on two brass rods is provided for holding a card or photo.  It is also adjustable for depth, sliding back and forward in grooves on each side.  The front of this viewer is hinged with a brass “stay” on the right to lock it in the upright viewing position.  When not in use it folds closed on a friction latch.  The bottom tier is equipped with a wooden track and folding arm which allows the viewer to be inclined to one of three preset angles.  The front bears the oval brass maker’s plaque reading “76  .UNIS . FRANCE  3   STEREOSCOPES -  PARIS”  10 ½  inches long by 6 ¾ inches wide and 3 inches thick when closed, elevating to a working height of 16 ¾ inches.  Superb original condition. 1395

This offering comes complete with several stereo viewing cards with extremely interesting subject matter.

21.99  EARLY 18th CENTURY TELESCOPE.  Impressive, first half of the 1700’s mariner’s telescope of English manufacture.  Known as a “decahedral” telescope for its uniquely faceted 10-sided barrel, this hand-held telescope exhibits many early characteristics.  Foremost is its distinctive barrel carved from a single piece of solid mahogany. The objective end features a classic flared brass lens holder containing a single pre-achromatic lens.  The extremely long barrel was a necessary function of early opticians being unable to grind glass lenses thick enough to provide adequate magnification with a short focal length.  As such they were relegated to making long, often ungainly, telescopes to provide a sufficiently enhanced image.  The early draw tube is also telling.  The brass tube containing a 4 element erecting system simply pulls out of the main barrel with no stop! … A feature indicative of these earliest marine telescopes.  Further, the erecting system is comprised of 4 separate thin glass lenses held in place with threaded retainers – not rolled in, like later telescopes.  The draw is cast brass, not brass tubing, and is threaded together in 3 separate sections.  The early form “nipple” eyepiece is another indication of the extreme age of this telescope.  This old mariner’s relic is in wonderful original condition considering its 250+ years.  All components are original and functional.  The sliding objective dust cover is away and there are a couple of insignificant, non-structural cracks in the barrel at the ocular end.  The telescope provides a clear, highly magnified upright image with minor color distortion on the periphery of the field, as expected.   Hence the name, “non achromatic.” It measures 38 inches in length closed and extends to 43 ½ inches long.  A museum quality relic from the early days of sail.  Price Request

21.86  EARLY TELESCOPE by IMPORTANT MAKER.  Especially rare, 10-sided, reverse tapered spyglass made by the famous London optician and nautical instrument maker George Adams.  This wonderful surviving example of a decahedral telescope is signed on the single draw in elegant cursive script “Adams, London.”   Evidencing its early origins this spyglass has an unusual 5 element erecting system in the single draw vs. the usual 4.  The lenses are held in by threaded retainers instead of being “rolled in,” as exemplified in later telescopes.  Together with the singlet, non-achromatic objective lens 1 1/8 inches in diameter, the system provides a sharp, highly magnified image with the typical peripheral chromatic aberration characteristic of pre-1750 telescopes.  The barrel is constructed of one solid piece of mahogany, hollowed out in the traditional decahedral form.  The draw, with early-form “nipple” has no stop, meaning it will pull free from the main barrel.  Again this is a characteristic indicative of only the earliest hand held telescopes.  Both of the spring-loaded objective and ocular dust slides are in place and operate properly.  The overall condition of this telescope can only be described as nothing short of amazing original condition in consideration of its seaborne life spanning more than 260 years!  The barrel is in its original finish with expected minor scuffs and mars from actual use.  All of the brass components have acquired a rich, deep age patina.  All 6 of the original glass lenses are in perfect condition.  31 inches long overall.  The main barrel measures 24 ½ inches long and is 1 ¾ inches thick at the widest.  Another of our museum quality offerings representing a real prize for the finest collection.   2600

George Adams (the first) was without question a premiere English maker of his time.  Born in 1698, he was apprenticed to James Parker in 1724 and began his own business at Shoe Lane, London in 1733.  In 1750 he received a patent for his telescope and was awarded the honor of appointment as maker to the Prince of Wales, George III, in 1760.  (Gloria Clifton, “Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1440-1851,” 1995, The National Maritime Museum.)

Peter Dollond (1731-1821,) son of inventor John Dollond, was widely credited with producing an effective achromatic lens, for which he was granted a Royal patent in 1758.  Up to that time limitations in glass making and lens grinding had made it necessary to manufacture small, thin lenses with long focal lengths in order to obtain maximum magnification.   Accordingly, early high-powered refracting telescopes such as this example, required unusually long barrels in relationship to the diameter of their objective lens.

21.4  BINOCULAR MICROSCOPE.   High grade 19th C. English microscope made for the American market, signed and serial numbered on the base "R. & J. Beck, London 7072." and further engraved on the main tube "J W QUEEN & Co. Agents, Philadelphia & New York."  This finely crafted all brass compound microscope features adjustable Wenham-style binocular body tubes mounted on a sturdy base and stands 14 inches tall as shown. It is complete with a total of 4 objectives and 4 ocular lenses.  It is housed in a lovely African mahogany box with brass furniture measuring 16 inches long.  The lower till houses numerous glass slides while the upper section holds the additional optics, with 11 slots being empty including a separate slot for a light magnifier which is also missing.  Of course the beauty of the innovation embodied in this microscope was the fact that the researcher could view a particular object with both eyes providing a clearer stereoscopic subject.  This rare instrument is in excellent, untouched original condition with most of its original lacquered surfaces.  It is functional and all adjustments operate smoothly and properly.  A most handsome presentation! 2195

The body tubes of this microscope were designed by W. H. Wenham in 1861, and are adjustable by means of a knurled knob that controls a rack and pinion gear set.  A triangular base supports the limb, which has an adjustable inclination angle through a series of holes in the limb that fit a tabbed hinge plate.  Coarse focus is achieved through a set of knobs that move the inner pillar tube up and down through a rack gear set.  The top of the pillar contains a fine focus knob.  A circular stage contains a central aperture and has a slide carrier to assist in translating specimens during viewing.  According to Turner, this form of the microscope stand was designed specifically to accommodate the Wenham binocular tube and was called "The Popular Microscope".

Richard and Joseph Beck joined in a partnership as opticians at 31 Cornhill, London from 1867-1894.  They were noted for their fine quality microscopes, and were admitted to the Microscopial Society of London.  

James W. Queen & Co. were in business as opticians at 48 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia from 1860-1893.