Antique Naval telescope binoculars c1860.
Stock Number: 4057
£105
Twin telescope binoculars with a leather-covered body, blackened brass draw tubes. There is a central focussing wheel, The manufacturer "Lennie Opticians Princes Street Edinburgh".
Dimensions
The binoculars measure 20cm in length when open, 14cm when closed.
Circa
1860
Maker
Lennie Opticians Princes Street Edinburgh.
Country of manufacture
UK and Ireland
Description
Twin telescope binoculars with a leather-covered body, blackened brass draw tubes. There is a central focussing wheel, The manufacturers name and details are marked on the draw tubes, “Lennie Opticians Princes Street Edinburgh”. They appear to be in good working order, wear to the leather and the black paint in places. The Binoculars carry the lettering “JAR”, probably an owners initials.
The company of James Lennie, an optician and instrument maker, was started around 1835 in South Bridge, Edinburgh but by 1840 it is noted at 14 Leith Street. The 1851 census notes that James’ eldest son William, aged 13, was an apprentice to the business. He later moved to Liverpool. James died in 1854 but his widow Eliza carried on the business. In 1857 she moved to 46 Princes Street and the business became known as E. Lennie.
Eliza Lennie and the optician James Taylor (from Harewood, England) are both listed in the Edinburgh directory of 1865-66 as separate businesses at the same two address of 46 Princes Street and 2 Queen Street. By 1872, Eliza and Taylor had married and operated as one company. Three of Eliza’s sons from her first husband also joined the business as it grew. After Eliza died in 1901, the company was still shown in the directories as E. Lennie until 1903 when the name changed to J & J Lennie. Two of her sons, John and Joseph were now running the business until at least 1912. In 1900, Joseph was also the President of the Edinburgh Photographic Society. The company of Lennie was still in existence up until 1959 when E.J. Lennie (known as Jack) finally closed it and moved to Rome with his wife.
This type of binocular are often called Long Johns and are associated with naval use, perhaps because they are essentially a twin pair of telescopes.
A similar example can be seen here in the Greenwich Museum collection in London:
https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-42271
The binoculars measure 20cm in length when open, 14cm when closed.
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