Description

SMALL POCKET TELESCOPE, English, early to mid-18th century. SOLD

IMPRESSIVELY LARGE EXAMPLE OF THE LIGNUM TELESCOPE, English, c. early to mid-18th century, measuring 9″ (23 cm) overall of beautiful lignum vitae with brass end caps with dust slides (the brass now dark brown). The telescope separates in the middle for focusing. The eye lens is plano-concave with ground periphery, and gives fine erect images, small but of moderate magnification. Condition is excellent. Over the years we have had several English pocket telescopes of lignum, in various sizes, but never one this large and handsome. They were never signed apparently, but we do find “Little Perspectives” advertised (see e.g., John Yarwell¹s 1683 card reproduced in Crawforth, Annals of Science 42, p.540). (10055) $3500.