Antique & Scientific Instruments U.K.

 

 

ANTIQUE TELESCOPES for sale 

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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. - £295

 

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. - £250

 

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  - £285

 

 

TELESCOPES on STANDS 

 

  A Very rare portable antique telescope signed in script on the shoulder Watkins, Charing Crofs, London. Francis Watkins was at Charing Cross  (with no street number) between 1774 and 1782. Thereafter his address was 5 Charing Cross.  Francis Watkins shared in the patent of the achromatic telescope lens with John Dollond. Towards the end of the 18th century there was a fashion for telescopes with a fold-away fine brass tripod stand for table use or display, all of which dismantles to store within the body tube of the telescope. This is the largest of such types, I have seen. It is also the only one of its type that I have seen with an internal fine focus controlled by a knob protruding from the shoulder of the instrument.  The 2 inch diameter objective is the original green glass achromatic doublet (triplet?) and has a screw-on dust cap. The telescope stands 13 inches high and 21 inches long when focused. Course focusing is by a draw tube which is engraved with a focusing mark to match that on the fine focus tube. The draw tube houses the eyepiece train which comprises a pair of erecting lenses and a pair of magnifying eye lenses, and a sun filter screws onto the eye end. This telescope is a most unusual design of which there are very few remaining examples. It is in remarkably good condition and the optics are excellent. -  £2250

 

 

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 telescope by E.G.WoodA 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 pocket telescope. The telescope has a dust cap to the objective and dust slide to the eyepiece. This instrument extends from just under six inches closed, to sixteen inches long when fully opened and has a 7/8 inch diameter objective. The optics are in good condition and the telescope is complete and in good working order - £75

 

 

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 

 

 

Victorian three draw leather-barreled telescope, by “Cary, 181.Strand, London.”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 

 

 

A military three draw leather-barrelled telescope, engraved on the first draw “"TEL. SCT. REGT. MK.2.S., K.E.C., O.S.126 G.A., 22150, and has the military arrow engraved below. The telescope has a leather covered taper barrel and ray shade to the objective and with dust slide/sun filter to the eyepiece. This instrument extends from ten and a half inches closed, to thirty-two inches long when fully opened and has a 2-inch diameter objective. The optics are in excellent condition and the telescope draws out smoothly.  - £135

 

 

 

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

 

Antique Telescope Society

 

Telescopes page last updated 07/08/2008

 

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