ANTIQUE
TELESCOPES
for sale
(click on thumbnail for larger picture)
NAUTICAL or MARINE type TELESCOPES
An antique, mahogany
barrelled marine telescope, engraved on the draw tube in script Harris
& Co., London. The telescope is also engraved
on the draw tube “Day
or Night” This
early 19th century (1813 – 1839) telescope
has a sliding
ray shade, a dust slide to the objective and dust slide to the eyepiece.
This instrument extends from twenty inches closed, to
thirty-eight inches long when fully opened. The “Day or Night” type
telescopes were so called because they were constructed to allow easy removal of
the erecting lens set, which allowed more light through the telescope giving a
clearer image for night use. The erecting set is replaced for daytime use as the
night mode has an inverting image (not a problem when viewing the moon or stars
at night but quite disconcerting when viewing a ship in the sea during the day
time). The main lens is an achromatic doublet and the eyepiece set comprises a
2-lens cell for the magnifying eyepiece and a 2 lens erecting set. The whole
instrument is in good working order and comes on a desktop display stand. -
on hold
An antique Marine telescope, single draw, leather
covered barrel, signed on the draw tube Jas
Morton, SUNDERLAND, Day or Night. During the late 19th
century Sunderland was the most important shipbuilding town in the world
employing about 10,000 people. James and his brother Thomas were working there in the second
half of the 19th century. This Victorian marine telescope
has a removable
dust cap to the objective and dust slide to the eyepiece.
The “Day or Night” type telescopes were so called because they were
constructed to allow easy removal of the erecting lens set, which allowed more
light through the telescope for night use. This instrument extends from twenty
inches closed,
to thirty nine
inches long when fully opened. The whole instrument is in good working order and
comes on a desktop display stand. - on
hold
An
antique two draw
mahogany barrelled telescope , signed on the first
draw “A. Maspoli, London Day or Night”.
Augustus Maspoli worked
in London from 1826 to 1855. The “Day or Night” type telescopes were so
called because they were constructed to allow easy removal of the erecting lens
set, which allowed more light through the telescope giving a clearer image for
night use. The erecting set is replaced for daytime use as the night mode has an
inverting image (not a problem when viewing the moon or stars at night but quite
disconcerting when viewing a ship in the sea during the day time). The telescope
has a sliding
ray shade and dust slide to the objective and dust
slide to the eyepiece. This instrument extends from
sixteen inches closed, to
forty-one inches long when fully opened and has a 1 1/2 inch diameter objective.
The main lens is a “green tint” achromatic doublet and the eyepiece set
comprises a 2-lens cell for the magnifying eyepiece and a 2 lens erecting set. A
substantial telescope from the early 1800’s, still in good working order and
makes a fine exhibition on it’s desktop display stand
- on hold
TELESCOPES on STANDS
A fine antique
library telescope with tabletop stand.
This all brass Regency period refracting telescope
has been sympathetically refurbished to a very high standard, and is in
excellent working order both optically and mechanically. The telescope has
thumbwheel rack & pinion fine focus and the eye tube draws out to achieve
the course focus. This
fine, 20 in. long bodied telescope, with removable dust cap
to the objective and dust slide to the eyepiece, stands
only 15 inches high which puts it in the class of “library telescope”, being
somewhat smaller than it’s more common larger brother. The telescope has a 1
5/8 inch diameter objective (original green glass
achromatic) and sits on a compass joint atop the brass tripod stand, which folds
for storage and transportation. The whole instrument is in fine condition and
makes a stunning display as well as being a fine working telescope. -£495
A large antique telescope
on a floor stand, engraved
around the shoulder BATEMAN,
104 Strand & Branches, LONDON The 42 1/2 in. long
telescope extends to over 64 inches and stands some 65 inches high. It also has
a set of detachable cabriole legs which can be used
to mount the telescope on a table top for viewing from a sitting position.
The telescope has a three-inch diameter objective
recessed into the ray shade and has thumbwheel rack
& pinion focussing. It has an erecting drawtube terrestrial
eyepiece, which has variable (low) powers for normal viewing of land or sea
objects, and an inverting high power astronomical
eyepiece with sun filter (which can be used with either eyepiece), for
viewing stars & planets. The whole instrument has been refurbished to a high
decorative standard. It makes a stunning display and is in good working order,
with some small dents in the main body tube and other minor blemishes as would
be expected from a 100+ year old telescope. -£750
A fine antique
telescope with cabriole tabletop stand in its fitted mahogany case.
This brass refracting telescope has all
original finishes, thumbwheel rack & pinion fine focus
and comes in a top quality mahogany case with brass
catches, hinges and handle. The telescope body is 31 inches long with removable dust
cap to the objective, stands 16 inches high and is about 45 inches long when
focussed with the terrestrial eyepiece fitted. The telescope has a two and a
quarter inch diameter objective and a 4 lens eye tube makes it suitable for
terrestrial use. It has a further two lens high power inverting astronomical eye
tube in the fitted case. The cabriole tripod stand folds for storage. The
telescope is in good working condition condition, with all original lacquer and
finishes allowing for some age stains and tiny dents attesting to it’s use
over the past 100 or more years. -£650
A
fine French Antique Telescope with accessories and
cabriole tabletop stand, in its original fitted case. This 19th century brass refracting telescope has
all original finishes, thumbwheel rack & pinion fine focus and is signed
around the objective lens “Lebrun, Paris 1874”.
Alexandre Lebrun of 3 Rue Chapon, Paris, displayed at the 1851 great
exhibition in London. The telescope has a 3-inch
diameter objective, a terrestrial eye tube and a separate short, high power eye
tube for astronomical use. There is also a screw-on sun filter to the
astronomical eyepiece. The cabriole tripod stand folds for storage. The
terrestrial eye tube stores in the telescope and the astronomical eye tube is
stored in the original case. There is a trade label
for A. Guedin on the inside of the case
lid bearing the retailers name and address. The optics are in excellent
condition, with no chips, scratches or marks and the whole instrument is in good
working condition with original lacquer and finishes allowing for some age spots
and rubbing attesting to it’s use over the past 130 years. -£850
A
fine antique refracting telescope on a cabriole tabletop
stand by E.G.WOOD. LONDON, in its original
fitted case with all accessories.
This 19th century brass refracting telescope has original blue/black and
gold lacquered finishes, draw tube main focus and thumbwheel rack & pinion fine
focus and is engraved around the shoulder E.G.
Wood, London. It also has a clamped, thumbwheel
controlled rack & pinion steady bar and an attached sighting ‘scope focused
by a brass lever. The inside of the case lid has a trade
label for Wood, listing the address as 74 Cheapside, London. Edward George
Wood is listed as working at this address from 1852to 1893. The 39 in. long
telescope with rack & pinion and drawtube focusing extends to over 50 inches
when using the erecting terrestrial tube and focuses at about 42 inches with the
erecting set replaced with the high power astronomical eyepiece. There is also a
Newtonian eyepiece for astronomical use and a sun
filter, in the fitted case. The telescope has a
three-inch diameter objective with lacquered brass dust cap and a sliding
shutter to the eyepiece. The cabriole tripod stand folds for storage and can be
removed to fit a floor standing tripod. The optics are in excellent condition,
with no significant chips, scratches or marks and the whole instrument is in
fine condition. -£1950
HAND HELD TELESCOPES
GEORGIAN (or earlier)
A Georgian three draw mahogany barrelled telescope
, signed in script on the first draw “W
& S Jones, 30 Holborn, London”.
This telescope was made to the very highest standards of the
day, having alignment arrows engraved on the body and
draws to ensure the telescope was set up in the best possible alignment for
viewing. It was made by one of the best makers of the day, W & S Jones, who
took over the Adams business stock and trade when Adams died.
The telescope has a dust cap to the objective
and dust slide to the eyepiece, which also combines to
act as a sun filter This instrument extends from 9 1/2 inches closed, to 29 1/2 inches long when fully opened and has a 1 5/8 inch diameter
objective. The main lens is a “green tint” achromatic doublet and the
eyepiece set comprises a 2-lens cell for the magnifying eyepiece and a 2 lens
erecting set. A very fine telescope from the early 1800’s, still in good
working order and makes a fine exhibition on it’s desktop display stand
- £265
A very large antique
hand held telescope engraved on the draw tube, by Dollond,
London. A 2 inch diameter green achromatic objective lens is set
into the taper barrelled mahogany body tube, and has a sliding ray shade and
removable dust cap. The draw tube is engraved
in script, adjacent to the eyepiece, with the makers name. There is a single
draw tube, comprising 3 sections to make up the
erecting set and the eyepiece set of optics and dust slide
to the eyepiece. The telescope extends to 48 in. long
in total, from just under 38 inches fully closed. It
has some minor scratches on the polished mahogany barrel and plenty of original
lacquer on the brass work, consistent with it’s 200 or so years of age and is
in fine working order. The lenses are free from any significant flaws and the
telescope focuses clearly and smoothly. - £475
VICTORIAN
The RECONNOIT’RER –
An antique three draw wood with leather trimmed barrelled antique brass
telescope, engraved,
on the dust cap “SALOM & CO. EDINBURGH,
RECONNOIT’RER RR”, to the objective and has a dust
slide to the eyepiece. It draws out to 16 inches long, from just under 6 inches, when fully
opened and has a 7/8 inch diameter objective. The optics are in excellent
condition and the telescope is complete, draws out smoothly and is in good
working order.- £120
A
three draw mahogany barreled antique brass telescope,
engraved Lennie Edinburgh on
the first draw, with dust cap to
the objective. It dates to about 1850 and is 16 inches long when fully opened,
opening from 6 inches long. It has a 1 1/8 inch diameter objective and dust
slide to the eyepiece. The
optics are in good condition and the telescope is complete and in good working
order, showing some old repairs to the mahogany body.- £95
A Victorian three draw leather-barreled brass telescope,
engraved on the first draw “Cary,
181.Strand, London.” This lightweight, “German silver”
telescope has a leather covered taper barrel and ray shade to the objective. It
has its original patterned leather sleeve,
which has shrunk back over the years. This
instrument extends from ten inches closed,
to thirty-two
inches long when fully opened and
has a 2 1/4-inch diameter objective with dust
slide to the eyepiece. The optics are in excellent condition and the
telescope draws out smoothly. -
£195
20th CENTURY
A top of the range
pocket 3 draw telescope engraved on the first draw “Made
for the Society of Minature Rifle Clubs” This German Silver, hide
barrelled, telescope was made by the top maker of the day and has their trade
mark on the ferule at the eye end of the barrel – “W.Ottway
& Co. Ltd., ealing, London, manufacturer”.
It has a dust cap
to the objective and it draws out to just under 17 inches long, from just over 6 inches, when fully
opened and has a 7/8 inch diameter objective. The optics are in excellent
condition and the telescope is complete, draws out smoothly and is in good
working order, as you would expect from this top class maker.-
£150
OTHERS
A
pair of Antique Brass Galilean field
glasses
or Binoculars, impressed around each eyepiece “THE
LIVERPOOL”. These type of field
glasses were made from the middle of the 1800’s until optical prism technology
overtook the simple Galilean optics in the early 20th century. These, all brass,
binoculars are in good condition with brown leather covered barrels, and sliding
ray shades. The optics are fine and free of any significant scratches, chips or
cracks and they focus smoothly giving a clear image. They measure just
under 6 inches in length with shades extended and compress down to 4 inches for
storage. The main lenses are 2 inches diameter, and
the general finish is very good for the age. A fine example of this mid 19th
century instrument.
- £35
An assortment of binoculars,
including w.w.1. military, nautical, etc
LINKS
Telescopes page last updated 18/11/2008