2.75" Tabletop Reflector Telescope, By Benjamin Martin

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2.75" Tabletop Reflector Telescope, By Benjamin Martin

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Sold Date: 05/13/2007
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Tools

2.75" Tabletop Reflector Telescope, By Benjamin Martin

Original Case & Hardware, Exceptional Condition, c !765

This is a 2 ¾ inch brass Gregorian Reflector telescope signed on the eyepiece tube: "B. Martin, Fleet Street, London", circa 1765. It is a tabletop model and is contained in its original 19.3"W x 7.3"D x 4"H fitted oak case. It is in outstanding original condition, featuring unusually intact original lacquer and what I consider to be the finest optics I have seen in a telescope of this age. This telescope stands about 15" high in use and features a tripod base with finely-made folding cabriole legs and an ornate, faceted rotatable compass mounting joint. The nicely-turned support pillar features an aperture in its base to permit insertion of a tool by which the pillar may be unscrewed from the base and then optionally attached to any wooden support by means of the large iron screw provided at the bottom of the pillar. The telescope body attaches to a 6" long support atop the pillar mount by two "butterfly" wing nuts. T is a finely-turned original brass cover for the distal end of the body tube. T is a doublet eyepiece with an available screw-on red-orange sun filter.

The fitted oak case features two wooden stays which fit into slots in the front and rear, over the top of the disassembled telescope and its base, providing excellent storage stability. On these stays are printed helpful reminders as to their correct placement within the slots. The case also features dual hooks/eyelets and a very typical Benjamin Martin brass escutcheon. The original lock is present and functions smoothly with what is believed to be the original key. In the case lid is an old label by Nairne & Blunt, "Optical and Mathematical Instrument-Makers to His Majesty", advertising their various products in both English and French, presumably placed when this telescope was later re-sold by Nairne & Blunt, circa 1780's. This label is affixed over another label, visible in the illustrations, which is suspected to be an original Benjamin Martin label which included instructions for the use of his telescopes. Martin is known to have produced a broadside with such a description at about this time, and a Martin telescope/case identical to the present instrument, owned by the Museum of the History of Science at Oxford has a trimmed version of this broadside pasted in its case lid, which appears to be about the same size as the label beneath the Nairne & Blunt label (see "Benjamin Martin, Author, Instrument-Maker and Country Showman" by John R. Millburn, page 106 or "Retailer of the Sciences, Benjamin Martin's Scientific Instrument Catalogues, 1756-82" by the same author for illustrations of this Oxford MHS instrument and its case).

Benjamin Martin was certainly one of the finest optical instrument makers of the 18th century, and is known to have worked from Fleet Street from 1756-1777. The present instrument is described as Martin's 18 inch telescope (the actual total tube length of the present telescope is about 17.6") and appears for sale in his 1757, 1765 and 1780 catalogues, all at the same price of 8 pounds, 8 schillings. Martin was in competition during this period with James Short and with George Adams, and, according to Millburn (cited above), Martin tried to focus more on the affordable model for the scientifically-inclined lay person, than on more elaborate instruments. The present instrument is typical of the high quality telescopes which formed a large part of Martin's trade, and it is noteworthy that when Martin died in 1782, his remaining inventory included more than twice as many telescopes (135) as any other type of instrument.

The Benjamin Martin telescope offered is in uncommonly fine, original condition. It is rare, in my experience, to encounter telescopes of this era with good preservation of their original lacquer. The present example is certainly an exception, and features a truly attractive overall patina, with only minimal defects or spotting and almost no visible de...