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Early 1900s Telescope by the French Firm, Tower Fine Optics - 30x magnification

$ 36.96

Availability: 100 in stock
  • Maker: Tower Fine Optics
  • Country/Region of Origin: France
  • Primary Material: Brass
  • All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
  • Condition: This spyglass telescope is in overall quite nice condition and works well - see photos and description.
  • Original/Reproduction: Antique Original
  • Type: Spyglass

    Description

    Original (early 1900s) Brass Nautical Spyglass Telescope – Tower Fine Optics brand - France
    30x Magnification.
    Extends to 36 inch maximum length.
    Works well (see photos!)
    Includes its original black case (end of cap missing)
    Up for bid is an ORIGINAL brass nautical spyglass telescope that was manufactured in the early 1900s by Tower Fine Optics, in France.
    Its retracted (collapsed) length is 10½ inches with a diameter of 2⅜ inches.
    Its fully extended length is 36 inches.
    The outer part of this telescope is covered in black leather (which is in quite nice condition) with brass end pieces.
    The telescope includes four embedded sections that extend outward to extend the telescope to its maximum length.
    This spyglass telescope is in overall quite nice condition and works well – although it will be difficult to use for a length of time fully opened, without an end support!
    The telescoping pieces extend/retract fine, except that the larger ones (more noticeable on the largest) take somewhat more effort to pull out/push in.
    I expect there is a ‘simple’ adjustment to make it easier to adjust, but have made no effort to find such.
    The eyepiece stem is stamped with company and focal length information (see photo).
    It is stamped:
    TOWER
    FINE OPTICS
    30-50-6308
    The 30 indicates the magnification and the 50 indicates the objective lens diameter in millimeters.
    The 6308 may be a catalog number.
    The outer top end ring around the outer case is stamped (in tiny lettering) “MADE IN FRANCE” (see photo).
    While unconfirmed, its characteristics suggest that it was made before World War I.
    It is a well-made piece.
    With care, it can be disassembled for cleaning.
    The eyepiece has a small brass ‘cap’ (with a movement tab) that gets closed to protect the lens eyepiece when not in use, and readily opened when the spyglass is to be used.
    It works well.
    An included photo of the eyepiece end shows the cap half open, to show its use.
    Based on some use, it needs to be essentially fully extended (with the eyepiece end extending/retracting for focus) before it will focus on items.
    That full length (with some variations for focusing) enables things to be observed at distance.
    The closest that I was able to find for bringing things into focus was about 40 feet; I was able to easily read ⅛-inch high lettering on a bottle at 45 feet distance.
    I then used it outside some, and focused on a mailbox at 1140 feet away, and could easily read the numbering on the post.
    (I would have checked for further distance, but the road curves enough at that point – with a downhill slope – and more distant mailboxes were not visible.)
    Finally, I set up the telescope on my car trunk, and focused on a mailbox located 580 feet away – and was able to take a picture through the lens (difficult to do because of camera light sensitivities).
    The resultant photo – unmodified – is included in the provided photos
    .
    This telescope comes with a black cardstock case (original for the telescope), which is in good condition except that the end of the removable top (cap) piece is missing.
    Buyer pays selected postage.
    The telescope will be shipped promptly with payment.
    Please email me with any questions you may have.