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Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. WEBSITE MUSEUM |
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OTHER BINOCULARS #7 & OPTICAL SIGHTS (MOSTLY MILITARY) |
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US Army Signal Corps 7x50 binoculars of Task Force 43/ Operation Deep Freeze member Antarctic Explorer Amory H. Bud Waite (11 Arctic Expeditions, and congressional medal) |
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My U.S. Army Signal Corps “ Task Force 43 ” “ Operation Deep Freeze ”, and “ Waite ” marked binoculars are another example of where an object itself is far less interesting than it’s associations to remarkable events. These military binoculars previously were issued to Amory H. Bud Waite, who was radio operator on eleven Antarctic expeditions and many other polar expeditions. While Waite was on Admiral Byrd’s 1933 second Antarctic expedition in July/Aug. 1934, stationed at the Little America Antarctic base, Waite was credited with all 3 attempts to rescue Admiral Byrd from a remote base (hut), including the successful rescue involving a 123 mi trek by Citroen tractor for 70 straight hours by 3 men in -70 ° F average temperatures ( -56.7 ° C) to reach the barely alive Byrd at the Boiling Weather Station hut on the Ross Ice shelf, where the 4 men subsequently spent 10 weeks in the 9 foot by 13 foot hut while Byrd recovered from long term carbon monoxide poisoning. Waite received a congressional medal for it. These binoculars probably date to Waite’s involvement in 1946-47 Antarctic Operation Highjump where he was a US Army Signal Corps observer, or to his 1954-55 time aboard the icebreaker U.S.S. Antka circumnavigating the Antarctic, and these are marked for his eight 1956-65 Operation Deep Freeze expeditions and time with Task Force 43, which was the nine ships of the 1955-65 Deep Freeze Expeditions. These binoculars have no visible manufacturer markings, but appear to be the Bausch and Lomb 7x50 binocular design in m24 case that the US govenment bought in large quantity from many companies in many variations, with the hard life these had and an old repaint having obscuring markings. |
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1990’s Chinese PLA/ Peoples Liberation Army Type 62-8WYJ 8x30 Military Binoculars Factory #298/ Yunnan Yuanjin Optical Co. |
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My Type 62 8x30 Peoples Liberation Army/ Chinese military pattern binoculars were made at factory #298, which later became Yunnan Yuanjin Optical Co. These Type 62 binoculars were PLA issue from the 1960’s-1990s, but were also made for and were supplied to the military forces of other countries such as North Vietnam/Vietnam. These binoculars were claimed to be 1990’s production NOS, and with engraved rather than silk screen markings they may well be 1990’s , but the basic design is still in production. These binoculars have odd pellet filled desiccant compartments. |
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Bud Waite |
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Task Force 43 ship USS Wyandot of operation Deep Freeze |
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1941 Anchor Optical Corp. 7x50 U.S. Navy Binoculars Mk 1 Mod 2 |
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Ca 1919-1921 Carl Zeiss Jena Silvamar Binoculars Donated to the US Navy in 1942 for WWII use, with Documented pre and post war Owners, and Returned to Owner at War’s end |
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Around 1942, as the US became more involved in the Battle of the Atlantic, and as German U boats became more active near US shores, the U.S. govt. launched a public campaign for civilians to “lend” Zeiss and Bausch and Lomb binoculars to the US Navy with a promise of returning them later. U.S. wars (as largely foreign territory wars) tend to be a struggle of interests between those in favor and opposed, with influencing public opinion a key factor in the political power to proceed. So the campaign to donate binoculars (with WPA/ Works Project Administration) assistance was as much a means to manipulate and control public opinion as it was a materials acquisition effort. Of course many of the donated binoculars were probably not useful. It appears that those actually suitable to be issued were marked with an acquisition year, an acquisition number, and the name of the owner “loaning them”. Owners were paid $1 loan compensation, which was part of a liability waiver. These circa 1919-1921 Carl Zeiss Jena Silvamar binoculars serial number 964,608 were donated by Samuel Margolies and taken into US Navy use in 1942 and were marked “ BU SHIPS”; “U.S. NAVY”; “TREATED M.I. N.Y”; (probably Materials Inspection); “No. 2714”; 1942” and “SAMUEL MARGOLIES” at than time. BuShips was the US Navy Bureau of Ships, which was created in June 1940, and managed procurement. |
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Anchor Optical Corp of NY was one of 6 companies to whom leading US optical company Bausch and Lomb licensed their designs, and who they assisted to gear up and produce US military binoculars in WWII (per Company Seven). My 1941 Anchor Optical Co US Navy 7x50 Mk1 Model 2 ser # 8030 binoculars are typical of these. BuShips was the US Navy Bureau of Ships, which was created in June 1940. |
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After the war, these binoculars were returned to Samuel Margolies, and then passed on to his son Roy S. Margolies of Mountainside NJ (himself a WWII navy vet who served as engineer on LST 741 during Landings in Leyte Gulf, Lingayen Gulf, and Mindoro Gulf), and who then died at age 90 in 2013. The New Jersey state drivers license number scratched on these binoculars is presumably that of Roy S. Margolis, as that practice was promoted as a theft deterrent measure around the 1960’s for cameras and binoculars. |
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1936 Ross No.6 Mk1 4x25 British Military Binoculars |
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My 1936 Ross No.6 Mk.1 4x25 British military binoculars serial no.1972 are broad arrow military property marked. Supposedly 5,000 were ordered in 1936 for anti-aircraft searchlight units (so no reticule/ ranging grid) with some probability of the smaller size of this militarized Steplux model being for female AA battery personnel. Among deficiencies, they tend to fall over when placed upright on a flat surface. They were quickly declared obsolete in Dec. 1936. |
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1924 Carl Zeiss 18X50 Delfort Binoculars |
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I like my 1924 Zeiss 18x50 Delfort binoculars quite a bit. They have that classic double telescope appearance; and at 18x they are an unusually high power; and they work well and look quite elegant. Plus they are quite uncommon. According to my 1928 Zeiss US price list, these cost US $120 in 1928, which is the 2021 equivalent of $1,900.00, and this represented about 5 weeks of an average wage in 1928. Very few people spend 5 weeks wages on a pair of binoculars. I assume these would have been special purpose binoculars, such as for a harbor master to identify the names of ships arriving at his port. |
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1916 German Busch Stellux US Army Signal Corps Type D Binoculars |
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KINDLY DONATED TO THE COLLECTION BY Binocular collector JACK INNIS. |
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My excerpts from the US Army Signal Corps Manual #3 of 1916 show that my pocket size CF German Busch Stellux 8x binoculars (SN) “D”4489 were issued to Signal Corps Field companies as Type D binoculars , and were also sold by the Army Signal Corps to it’s officers for private purchase/ personal gear in 1916/1917. The US declared war on Germany in April 1917, so additional supply shipments of German Busch Stellux & Terux binoculars to the US Army ceased. |
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(ca1897?) Carl Zeiss Jena DRP DF95 8x20 Military Binoculars with graticule serial # 6973 |
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Carl Zeiss Jena introduced my distinctive pattern of “bent or sloped shoulder“ DF95 8x20 military binoculars in 1895, and I think mine were made in 1896, with the oculars updated by a 1898 military wide retrofit. My example has a left ocular ranging grid or reticule. The D.R.P. marking is Deutsches Reich Patent. The binoculars would normally have had bakelite ocular cups. |
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DF95 and serial “No. 6973” are hard to see |
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These would have been advanced prism based optics around the beginning of the shift from Galilean to prismatic binoculars. |
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B.K. Elliott Co Pittsburgher French manufactured 8x26 binoculars |
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I believe I have documented the contract nature of the post WWII Japanese binoculars industry, with branding dominated by names of or created by importers, distributors, exporters, and retail chains. But this practice really just continued a tradition and European manufacturers from the 1800’s on “ 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, USA. |
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Carl Zeiss Danish HTK/H æ rens Tekniske Korps 6 x 30 b Military binoculars |
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My Carl Zeiss West German made 6x30 B binoculars carry the Danish military property crown, and the HTK marking of the H æ rens Tekniske Korps (Army Technical Corps), which from 1909 to 1968 was the Danish military material command. These high quality binoculars predate 1968, (probably made around 1962), and are part of recent military surplus releases. They have a right ocular ranging reticule. Thanks go to Marija at military dealer UAB Militar , in Klap ē dos, Lithuania, for picking me a very a nice example to purchase to document. |
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“Zeise “Army & Navy” “Day and Night “, “Germany” Faux named binoculars |
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Within the consumer marketing of binoculars, there have always been deceptions intended to appeal to customer perceptions. Like “SEE 100 MILES WITH THESE !” (everybody can see the moon with their naked eyes and it is 237,674 miles away). Or my “ ZEISE ” binoculars (meant to be confused by consumers with Zeiss) “ ARMY & NAVY ” (that is nonsense), “ DAY & NIGHT ” (no particular features for night performance) and “ GERMANY ” (possible made there or possible more deception as doesn’t say “made in”). |
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1917 Carl Zeiss WWI German Issued Australian Captured & Reissued No.3 Mk 0 6x24 binoculars |
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My WWI Australian military binoculars are German 1917 dated Carl Zeiss German Military issued ( Dienstglas marked) DF 6x24 military binoculars that were captured and taken into Australian military service, as indicated by D ↑ D Australian property markings, and re-stamped as Australian No.3 Mk 0 military pattern binoculars, which are the model binoculars produced in 1917 by the Zeiss London firm seized and taken over by Ross in 1917 for UK/ Commonwealth military contracts. (None of the normal Zeiss London binoculars had German military Dienstglas markings, and they were marked “Zeiss London”: see our example in Other Binoculars #8), while these are marked Carl Zeiss Jena . These were over-painted green. Both binoculars and tin case are marked T.P.1 , the standard Australian military abbreviation for Troop 1. |
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Australian D ↑ D military property mark |
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U.S. Navy Carl Zeiss Silvarem 6x30 binoculars donated during WWII in 1942 |
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This is another one of my civilian owned Carl Zeiss 6x30 Silvarem binoculars that had been donated to the US WWII war effort and had also been taken into service by the U.S. Navy Bureau of ships in 1942, in this case as property no 4413. They were intended to be returned to the owner, Gabriel M. Taix, and they are marked as such with his name, as was the practice on many such donated binoculars. |
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WWI Talbot Reel and Manufacturing Co. US Army Signal Corps Binoculars |
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My WWI US Army Signal Corps binoculars are another example of U.S. industrial flexibility during wartimes. Talbot Reel and manufacturing Co. made fishing reels and were located in Kansas City Missouri USA from 1913-1920, and obviously made contract binoculars during WWI for the US army. |
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1941 WWII Royal Air Force British Air Ministry 6x Watson Baker Military Binoculars |
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See also US Army Signal Corps binoculars made by the US Navy Optical Shop Annex in OTHER BINOCULARS #6 |
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1918 A. Kershaw & Son Ltd WWI British No. 3 Mk1 6x military binoculars |
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My 1918 WWI Kershaw & Son No. 1 Mk 1 British army binoculars have the facing broad arrow British military property marks of release from service. They are marked to A.W. Fuller Acland-Hood, who I believe to be Sir Alexander William-Acland-Hood, (later became 6th Baronet Hood), born in 1901. He went to the Royal Military Academy, and was a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, and moved to California the USA after WWI. (speculative) |
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WWI ca 1917 1918 Bausch & Lomb US Army Signal Corps 6x30 military binoculars |
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WWII 1942/1943 German Army 6x30 / DYM Runge und Kaulfu ß Fabrik f ü r Optik Dienstglas binoculars |
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My WWII dym manufacturer coded 6x30 German military binoculars were made by Runge and Kaufus in Rathenow in 1942 or 1943 and have a H6400 strichplatte or right side graticule/ ranging grid. The “O” marking indicated the use of 1416 cold weather grease introduced Nov 1 1942 (credit Hans Seeger). The manufacturer was Runge und Kaulfu ß Fabrik f ü r Feinmechanik und Optik, which also was known under the brand logo of RUKA. |
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The origins of Bausch & Lomb date to 1853 when they sold imported European eyewear and manufactured monocles. The firm began producing binoculars in 1890. From 1892 in cooperation with Carl Zeiss Optische Werkat ä tte, Bausch & Lomb began producing lenses, and by 1907 Zeiss owned 20 percent of the company, and the two firms had many licensing agreements. The origin of the triangle logo was a corporate alliance between Bausch & Lomb, Zeiss, and Saegmuller related to pre WWI US military contracts. When the US entered WWI on Apr.6, 1917, 2,000 lbs of military optical glass a day was projected need, and by Mar. 1918 Bausch & Lomb was producing 35,000 lbs a month as the U.S. primary lens manufacturer, as well as being a major producer of all completed US WWI military optical devices. |
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My binoculars came in a U.S. Naval Gun Factory marked case with mounted compass made by Crown Optical Co. (The US Navy seized the Crown Optical Co in Rochester on Dec. 1917). |
