|
Zeiss U.S. Navy marked 8x Field Glasses US license made by Bausch & Lomb , patent date 1897 |
|
The German firm Carl Zeiss had licensed U. S. binocular maker Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. of Rochester NY to make their 1897 Abbe patent 8 power binoculars from around 1900 to 1920. Most were made for the civilian market, but my particular binoculars were marked as made under a U.S. Navy contract. Info credit per Smithsonian National Museum of American History Behring exhibit #1982-.0001.02 |
|
B.K. Elliott Co. Pittsburgher French manufactured 8x26 binoculars |
|
This is another example of the contract nature of the binoculars industry, with brands contracted by importers, distributors, exporters, or retail chains. The practice continued a tradition of European manufacturers from the 1800’s of “ private branded” binoculars for distributors and retailers. B.K. Elliott was a catalog retailer of drafting equipment, barometers, transits, surveying tools, and binoculars. These French manufactured binoculars were branded to B.K. Elliott of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio USA. |
|
NON MINIATURE BINOCULARS AND OPTICS: MOSTLY MILITARY |
|
OTHER BINOCULARS #18 & OPTICAL SIGHTS/ MOSTLY MILITARY |
|
Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. WEBSITE MUSEUM |
|
CONSTANTLY NEWLY ADDED ITEMS ARE INSERTED THROUGHOUT THE SECTION AND NOT NECESSARILY ON THE LAST PAGE. |
|
IF YOU VIEW THE WEBSITE FREQUENTLY YOU MAY HAVE TO DO A PAGE REFRESH ON YOUR COMPUTERTO SEE LATEST VERSION RATHER THAN YOUR OLD CACHE |
|
Ca 1920’s Jules Huet & Cie “Artillerie” 8x military pattern but probably civilian binoculars |
|
The firm Jules Huet and Cie was as it says on the binoculars a reorganization (nouvelle maison) founded in 1913 (fondee en 1913). While a military pattern (8x24 individual focus) these “artillerie” branded binoculars are most likely 1920’s civilian market. While Huet made lots of military binoculars, they also promoted their binoculars as being by a supplier to the military. These have NO French military property MG marking, other military or acceptance marks, and no reticule/ strichplatte. |
|
WWI era C.B. Vaugn British military broad arrow marked binoculars |
|
My binoculars marked C. B. Vaughn 39 Strand London are an interesting mix of clues.” German make” indicates German civilian market origin. Charles B. Vaughn of 39 Buckingham St., (founded in 1782), was widely listed and advertised in the 20th century as a pawnbroker, moneylender, a major seller of used guns, used fishing tackle, and used (and probably some new binoculars), and I assume had these contract made for them, probably prior to 1914 (speculative). |
|
Carl Zeiss DF 8x24 Signal Ger ä t binoculars and M.Blink monocular |
|
Prior to 1914 Germany developed a light signal communications system similar the Morse code light signal system for use on or between sea, land, or air, but with the blink code different. These type systems could be seen great distances, especially at sea: reportedly as much as 25km at night. It is not widely known, but Carl Zeiss Jena manufactured all of the components for this type German system including the light signal device usually called “blink ger ä t” (blink device), and both binoculars and monoculars to see the light signals marked Carl Zeiss “signal ger ä t” (signal device) but with some Carl Zeiss monoculars also observed marked as “blink ger ä t” (Blink device). My Carl Zeiss DF 8x24 Signal Ger ä t binoculars are part of this system, and with serial # 324,186 are believed to date around 1912-1913. . |
|
Example of a WWI era Carl Zeiss M.Blink “blinkger ä t” (blink device) lamp with mounted Zeiss targeting and return signal viewing monocular. Early models of these were acetylene lamps. Between pre WWI introduction and the end of WWII Zeiss made a number of variations of their signaling lamps. |
|
“Zeise “Army & Navy”, “Day and Night “, “Germany” Faux named binoculars |
|
Marketing is making items more appealing to potential purchasers to increase sales. Often using association |
|
Within the consumer marketing of binoculars, there have always been intentional deceptions intended to appeal to customer perceptions. Like “SEE 100 MILES WITH THESE !” (everybody can see the moon with their naked eyes, and the moon is 237,674 miles away, which makes the boast quite silly). Or my “ ZEISE ” binoculars (which were intended to be confused by consumers with Zeiss) with “ ARMY & NAVY ”markings (pure nonsense), and “ DAY & NIGHT ”markings (no particular features for night performance) and “ GERMANY ”marking (possible made there, but also may be just more deception and branding since it does not actually make the claim “made in Germany”). I like these as over the top marketing. |
|
My understanding is that the British military had such shortage of binoculars that civilian new and used binoculars were taken into service as substitute standard. I believe these are that. I believe the NPL 2 is a Britsh military acceptance mark with the S indicating being substitute standard. |
|
Binocular & case have WWI era broad arrow British army property marks |
|
Ca 1916-1918? WWI Voightlander Braunshweig Dienstglas German Army 6x24 Military binoculars |
|
My 6x24 Voightlander Braunshweig German army dienstglas binoculars serial number 53299 were analogous to the German army WWI Zeiss 6x24 dienstglas model, so also probably date to the 1916-1918 German military contracts (speculative). The lion logo is a Voightlander symbol. |
|
WWII Anchor Optical Co U S Navy Mk 32 Mod 4 binoculars also property marked by the Humble Oil and Refinng Co., Geophysics Dept., #47-3 |
|
My Humble Oil and Refining Co. Geophysics Dept. property marked binoculars were probably bought by the company in 1947 (speculative and partly based on a guess the #47-3 being binocular #3 of 1947 purchase), when loads of these used and new WWI military surplus military surplus binoculars became widely available for sale on the U.S. consumer market. Humble Oil ( half owned by Standard Oil) had gas stations under their own name and after reorganizations etc . under Enco, Esso, and Exxon brand names. |
|
The Geophysics Dept. of Humble Oil used seismic surveys and other methods to locate oil deposits underground. |
|
M.Blink monocular |
|
Example of a WWII blc (Zeiss mfgr code) Blinkgerat with shutter light interruption |
|
My Carl Zeiss Jena 4x20 M.Blink.16 monocular serial # 933242 originally has a mounting lug to attach to the lamp, which a previous owner removed and then hand carved a really impressive wood carry box. |
|
Bausch & Lomb U.S.C.G./ U.S. Coast Guard 19.5x Spotting Scope |
|
I associate spotting scopes and mounts of the type of my Bausch & Lomb U.S.C.G. (U.S. Coast Guard) example as being associated with rifle marksmanship training, where an instructor will spot shot placement and suggest improvement in trigger pull, breathing, sight alignment etc. I have seen similar U.S. Army and National Guard scopes. |
|
Wanted for the museum collection website : U.S.C.G. or U.S. Coast Guard marked binoculars (if they exist). Contact: miniature.binoculars@gmail.com |
|
Post WWII Zrak 6x30 JNA/ Jugoslavenska Narodna Armija Yugoslavian Army military binoculars with right reticule /range grid, serial number Br.14894 |
|
German Voightlander 10x42 Australian Army D ↑D property marked binoculars serial #61380 |
|
U.S. Army M6 Periscope for Stuart M3 and M5 Tanks |
|
The periscope allowed viewing outside the tank from inside protected from direct trajectory impacts. |
|
My U.S. WWII era M-6 tank periscope was derived from the British Vickers Mk IV periscope, itself derived from the Polish Gwz 34 periscope. As many as five of these were utilized on the WWII M3 and M5 Stuart light tanks, and they were also used in other AFV/ armored fighting vehicle applications. Similar periscopes were also used in Sherman tanks. |
|
Stuart M5 front periscope |
|
Stuart M3 tank turret periscope |
|
These were a quite common surplus optical device in the 1960’s/1970’s US consumer army navy surplus retail market. |
|
The JNA/ Jugoslavenska Narodna Armija, was the army of the Socialist federal Republic of Yugoslavia existed 1945-1992. My Zrak Yugoslavian army binoculars with right ocular reticule and yellow filters obtained in Slovenia probably date to around 1960 or so (speculative). Zrak D.D. is an optical firm founded in 1948 to produce military optics, located in Sarajevo, and with a long history of making military and civilian optical products, including binoculars. The VK markings on both binoculars and binoculars case are Vrhouna Komanda/ Supreme command approval marks. |
|
In WWI and WWII Australian military forces used a lot of non standard binoculars (based on non standard binoculars with D ↑D Australian military property marks). It has to be remembered that with a huge coastline during the wars there would have been civilian or reserves or auxillary military equipped watchers (in WWII Australia had over 700 coastwatchers, virtually all of whom would have had to equipped with binoculars). |
|
For our Zrak RPG sight see OTHER BINOCULARS #5 and for our Zrak promotional pins see SWAP SHOP & MISC |
|
US Navy Bureau of Ordnance Bausch & Lomb Optical Co Mk 91 conning tower torpedo targeting submarine binoculars |
|
Bauch & Lomb of Rochester New York manufactured my MK 91 sealed high pressure rated torpedo targeting binoculars to mount permanently on the conning tower of WWII submarines, so that the minute the sub surfaced the targeting optics were ready to be used , which would not be the case with removable units. My understanding is that between the Tambor, Gato, Bako, and Tench class submarines, the US used around 238 submarines in WWII. Since MK 91 targeting units were not used on other vessels, the quantity manufactured would be small. My example is missing it’s data plate. At 37 pounds, these are by far the heaviest binoculars I have encountered. |
|
Example shown mounted on a submarine conning tower |
|
An extremely small percentage of still existing examples of these seem to have their surviving rubber eyecups, as these do. |
|
I associate this Voiglander lion logo to the period around 1915-1925 (speculative) |
|
These binoculars do mot have a reticule/ ranging grip. |
|
U.S. Navy Delta Electric Co . Binocular blinker, Tube type Model A-2071spec 17B15 |
|
According to the U.S. Navy bureau of Ships Manual; lighting 1945-1946, my binker light for binoculars mounting shown mounted on a pair of my U.S. Navy binoculars is as follows |
|
1930’s Taller de Precisi ó n Attilleria 6x30 Spanish Army binoculars with reticule/ranging grid |
|
The Taller de Precisi ó n Attilleria Co. (also known as Taller de Precisi ón y Centro Electrotécino Artilleria) operated 1898-2011, with a factory in Rios Rosas, Chamberi district in Madrid, Spain making military optics. They made my 6x30 binoculars for the Spanish army/ Ejército de Tierra, and it has a reticule/ ranging grid. |
|
British Barr & Stroud C.F.41 Admiralty (Navy) 7x50 Binoculars with Expanding Objective Shields |
|
Like many naval binoculars, these contain internal lever controlled filter disks to improve vision for various weather and lighting conditions. |
|
Taller de Precisi ó n Attilleria factory |
|
I associate defaced serial number on binoculars with soldier taking them home. |
|
1/6400 is a reticule designation. RD-1J is probably a model. |
|
1970’s cased U.S. Army Binocular-IR-M18 Infra Red Night Vision binoculars serial number 7734 |
|
TWO Carl Zeiss Jena Delfort 18x50 German Binoculars, 1920 serial number 1090212, and 1924 serial number 1415894 |
|
I like my 1920 and 1924 Zeiss 18x50 Delfort binoculars quite a bit. They were a civilian variation of the WWI military Zeiss DF 18x50 model, and have that classic double telescope appearance; and at 18x they are an unusually high power; and they work quite well and look very elegant. Plus they are uncommon. Given the cost and high magnification, these were probably primarily sold for specialty applications where visual identification was needed as part of control such as air fields, harbors, rail yards, borders, and the merchant marine, rather than the general consumer market. My 1920 18x50 Zeiss Delfort binoculars cost 2275 German marks in 1920, or around 11 months of average German monthly wages. (the German economy collapsed in 1923). And according to my 1928 Zeiss US price list, these cost US $120 in 1928, which is the 2024 equivalent of $2,212. Not that many ordinary people spend $2200 on binoculars. |
|
FOR LIST OF JAPANESE WWII BINOCULAR MARKINGS SEE BOTTOM OF OTHER BINOCULARS #18 |