Product Details
＋Original Items: One Set only. This is a very nice original pair of U.S. WWI binoculars. Binoculars, known as field glasses, were a very important piece of equipment for U.S. soldiers. They needed it for observations by land or even balloons. Binoculars were in short supply, so many soldiers brought their own personal binoculars to the battlefield. Also a lot of the binoculars from WWI were special donations from civilians received by Army and Navy donation campaigns.
The first set of binoculars is made by the U.S. Maritime Gun Factory Optical Shop Annex. It's in a very good condition, with fairly clean glasses and can still be used today! The binoculars are made for the Signal Corps, which is why they have orange lenses inside. The orange lenses were used for nighttime operations. The operator could choose between the ‘normal’ glasses or the orange glasses.
The United States proclaimed war on the German Empire on 6 April 1917. Crown Optical was among various contracted organizations that were encountering hardships in satisfying the expanding needs of the U.S. Government. So in 1917 Crown Optical was nationalized, the U.S. Government appointed the office to the U.S. Naval force who set up the U.S. Maritime Gun Factory Optical Shop Annex (NGF Annex) in the offices of the previous Crown Optical. Assembly of optics continued and expanded so that by late 1917 the processing plant was providing agencies of the U.S. Naval force, the U.S. Armed force, and others as well.
After the takeover of the office by the U.S. Naval force markings that fused a Navy Anchor logo, which is visible at the binocular . The labeling of binoculars will bear the U.S. Navy shop origin information in block letters, as bellow:
U.S.NAVAL GUN FACTORY
OPTICAL SHOP ANNEX
ROCHESTER,N.Y. U.S.A.
The second set of binoculars was manufactured by the Bausch & Lomb Optical located in Rochester, NY.
This set of binoculars is in good condition, with signs of moderate use and wear. The glasses are fairly clean and have multiple markings on it. It bears the marking of the Bureau of Ordnance U.S. Navy. It's a Mark 7 with serial number 4017. It also shows a sign with:
Prism Stereo
30MM Apert.
6 power
It also bears the company name and logo:
Bausch & Lomb Optical Co.
Rochester, NY, USA
In the eyepiece of the binocular, you can find a slide with orange lenses, where the operator could choose between the normal lenses and the orange lenses. These orange lenses were used for nighttime operations, because they cut down glare and thus improve contrast so you get better image quality even in hazy conditions.
The further improvement of the firm was impacted by political occasions. Due to the World Wars and the ensuing requirement for optical instruments, for example, field glasses, range locators, camera focal points, binocular telescopes, searchlight mirrors, torpedo tube sights, and periscopes, the item reach was impressively widened in a short amount of time. Until World War I, optical glass and the instruments produced using it (counting numerous tactical instruments) were regularly brought into generally European and North American nations from Germany. Because Germany became an enemy of the Allies, the need for homegrown industries was expanded.
Ready for use in the WW1 Trenches or to display!
The first set of binoculars is made by the U.S. Maritime Gun Factory Optical Shop Annex. It's in a very good condition, with fairly clean glasses and can still be used today! The binoculars are made for the Signal Corps, which is why they have orange lenses inside. The orange lenses were used for nighttime operations. The operator could choose between the ‘normal’ glasses or the orange glasses.
The United States proclaimed war on the German Empire on 6 April 1917. Crown Optical was among various contracted organizations that were encountering hardships in satisfying the expanding needs of the U.S. Government. So in 1917 Crown Optical was nationalized, the U.S. Government appointed the office to the U.S. Naval force who set up the U.S. Maritime Gun Factory Optical Shop Annex (NGF Annex) in the offices of the previous Crown Optical. Assembly of optics continued and expanded so that by late 1917 the processing plant was providing agencies of the U.S. Naval force, the U.S. Armed force, and others as well.
After the takeover of the office by the U.S. Naval force markings that fused a Navy Anchor logo, which is visible at the binocular . The labeling of binoculars will bear the U.S. Navy shop origin information in block letters, as bellow:
U.S.NAVAL GUN FACTORY
OPTICAL SHOP ANNEX
ROCHESTER,N.Y. U.S.A.
The second set of binoculars was manufactured by the Bausch & Lomb Optical located in Rochester, NY.
This set of binoculars is in good condition, with signs of moderate use and wear. The glasses are fairly clean and have multiple markings on it. It bears the marking of the Bureau of Ordnance U.S. Navy. It's a Mark 7 with serial number 4017. It also shows a sign with:
Prism Stereo
30MM Apert.
6 power
It also bears the company name and logo:
Bausch & Lomb Optical Co.
Rochester, NY, USA
In the eyepiece of the binocular, you can find a slide with orange lenses, where the operator could choose between the normal lenses and the orange lenses. These orange lenses were used for nighttime operations, because they cut down glare and thus improve contrast so you get better image quality even in hazy conditions.
The further improvement of the firm was impacted by political occasions. Due to the World Wars and the ensuing requirement for optical instruments, for example, field glasses, range locators, camera focal points, binocular telescopes, searchlight mirrors, torpedo tube sights, and periscopes, the item reach was impressively widened in a short amount of time. Until World War I, optical glass and the instruments produced using it (counting numerous tactical instruments) were regularly brought into generally European and North American nations from Germany. Because Germany became an enemy of the Allies, the need for homegrown industries was expanded.
Ready for use in the WW1 Trenches or to display!
