As far as functional telescopes go, this is probably the oldest one that I’m ever likely to get my grubby little mitts on! I have no idea how old this thing is – it was sold as being early Victorian (1840s). However, research suggests anywhere from 1800-1850, with the style becoming increasingly uncommon from the 1850s onwards. What I do know is that this telescope is definitely of a much, much older style than I’m used to, and which hasn’t been seen in at least a hundred and forty years.
The way it’s constructed, the way it operates, and its various component pieces, and features, screams just how different it is from any other telescope which I’ve ever had the privilege of handling.
So, what do I know about it?
This particular type of telescope is pretty freakin’ old. That much I do know. In some respects it’s not too different from the others I have, in other respects, it is very different!
It’s a two-draw wooden-barreled naval telescope with brass fittings, with an eyepiece cartridge, erector cartridge, and two-piece objective lens, which were all common features of antique telescopes of the 1800s. Where it differs is in how these pieces are assembled and fitted.
For a start, let’s look at the eyepiece mount. It’s much larger and more elaborate than most such mounts, and the eyepiece lens which it protects is also fitted differently into the cartridge which holds it.
The eyepiece cartridge has two lenses which magnify the image seen by the big objective lens at the front of the telescope. On later telescopes, both these eyepiece lenses are fitted into rims of roughly the same shape and size, and are screwed into either side of the cartridge which holds them.
On this telescope, the eyepiece lenses are not only of dramatically different sizes, but how they’re mounted into the cartridge is also markedly different. This style of fixture is something you just don’t see in telescopes which come from the second half of the 1800s.
The second major difference between this telescope and others which I’ve handled, and which points it out as being an older style, is how the lens-caps are mounted and operate on the telescope.
Most telescopes have one big round objective lens-cap, which just covers the front of the telescope, to stop the big, light-catching lens from getting dirty, gritty, scratched or damaged, and a smaller cap at the other end, for the same purpose. To use the telescope, it’s necessary to remove the lens-cap at the front, and to slide the lens-cap built into the eyepiece mount, to one side. The cap or shutter pivots on a screw-post into the side of the telescope’s eyepiece and is hidden neatly away.
Here, you can see the two ‘guillotine’ shutters raised into their open positions.
By comparison, this telescope has rectangular, sliding lens-shutters on both the front, and back end. They slide open and shut and they stick out the sides of the telescope instead of tucking neatly away. I’ve seen some people call these ‘guillotine-style’ shutters, on account of how their operation resembles that of everyone’s favourite full-sized vegetable-chopper – so, I’ll call them guillotine-style shutters too!
The lens-cap removed, with its shutter raised.
They really are a very whimsical piece of telescopic history. They’re a feature that you simply do not see on modern telescopes – and not on many antique ones, unless they’re really old, like this one! I’m pretty sure I’ll never find another one like this – at least not at any price which I could comfortably afford!
Another feature which I like about this telescope is the fact that the lens-cap that protects the objective lens at the front of the wooden barrel has two purposes. First, it acts as a lens-cap, to keep the lens free from dust, scratches and breakage – second, it acts as a rain and glare-shield! It’s not actually necessary to remove the lens-cap from the front of the telescope, in order to use it. You simply slide up the shutter on the front of it!
This feature would’ve been common on telescopes designed for naval use at sea, where sea-spray or rain could easily have obscured the view of the telescope’s user. Protecting the telescope’s lens from the full force of the rain or sea would’ve allowed for clear vision even during inclement weather.
Given all these factors, how old is it?
I honestly don’t know. My guess is the 1820s or 1830s. I have no evidence to back this up beyond what I’ve seen from similar telescopes which were dated to this era, and which match the design elements which I’ve seen here. But that said, that would make this about 180 years old…which is impressive, any way that you slice it!
This has certainly been a fascinating piece to tinker with and pull apart, fix and clean. Hopefully I’ll have a video about this coming soon on my YouTube channel, so watch out for that! 🙂
An excellent and extremely informative article thank you. I also have one of these early Marine telescopes, (newly wrenched from a deep sleep of 60 years in the bottom of a cupboard) it is 37 inches long; has guillotine style sliding covers to protect both the front and eyepiece lenses, the front cartridge is about 14 inches in length the mahogany section being about 4-1/2″ long plus an inch hidden under brass. The forward end of the front cartridge comprises a 4-1/2″ perhaps over-long movable/sliding brass sleeve which can slide forward; presumably for spray protection and to keep the sun off the lens. This brass sleeve predictably ends at the forward guillotine style cover. The front and middle draws; are simply tubes without lenses, the smallest draw having two inner tubes; one sliding in from either end, the forward inner tube having a one-inch lens at the forward end and a 9/16″ lens at its rear, with a fixed aperture at some midpoint of about a quarter inch. The rearward inner tube again having a 1-3/16 inch lens at the forward end, a larger fixed aperture of about 3/4″ about two thirds of the length of the inner tube; into which an 11/16″ diameter eyepiece lens screws.
The third draw is engraved with the name S or P Moses, Pier Street, Ryde,. Isle of Wight, Day or Night. The Isle of Wight is in the English channel immediately south of Southampton. I would hate to think what this telescope would have cost in its day. I’ll try to organise some photographs; challengingly these things really only come to life when you have opportunity to pull them apart. That small draw is absolutely packed with four lenses and two apertures; quite a piece of work for an early date. Odd: that everywhere is covered in patina; except the front lens ring which shines as though it were new?.