Earliest german Navy binoculars yet Merz 1865

[Mikedenmark]

Last night, I came across this paper, written at the University of Hamburg, on the german instrument maker Merz.
Primary objective seems to be astronomical instruments, but there are a few interesting military items as well.

https://ediss.sub.uni-hamburg.de/volltexte/2015/7310/
Choose Dokument 1 for download.

Now, I expect that not everyone here reads german, so, try and scroll down to these pages:

139 Drawing of a rangefinder intended for military use 1865.
142-144, Navy double glas 1865
154-160, Military binoculars 1880-ies
205 Prismatic Binoculars 1922
220 Exhibits from the Fraunhofer workroom. ( I just love when a Lathe is made from wood.)
495 Catalog military glasses year 1900.

On page 155 the marking BMF for Bayersche Militär Fernrohr is mentioned.
Here is one such telescope offered on ebay:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/G-S-Merz-B-M...wAAOSw3PtdRZRi

For those interested, the last part of the text also has some information on the companies Steinheil and Rodenstock.
It has been edited and published as a book as well:

https://www.amazon.de/Wissenschaftli...2581230&sr=8-1

[Sgt Bilko]

Very interesting - thanks for that. I have a pre Waterloo Utzschneider & Fraunhofer 20x telescope but there's no military markings on it sadly.

[Mikedenmark]

You are welcome.
I have 2 Merz telecopes with danish military markings. As far as I remember, they entered service here in 1882.

Last night I also found something about a german rangefinder, non optical type, described in a danish paper from 1798. Could be interesting to see the drawings that accompagnied that paper. It should be present somewhere here in Copenhagen.

[Sgt Bilko]

I find it intriguing, when confronted by objects so old, to think of the times they were made in - “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”

Sometimes though, you realise nothing really changes.

[Mikedenmark]

It is always nice to believe people read what I write.
I admit it may be a coincidence, the bavarian Telescope I linked to, was sold 15 minutes after I posted this new thread.
I like to believe there is a connection.

Anyhow, someone got a very rare telescope.


PS Bonus: Swedish Merz telescopes:
https://digitaltmuseum.se/search/?q=merz

[Sgt Bilko]

You're obviously an online influencer and should receive a small bonus I'd say.

An influencer is someone who has: the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with his or her audience. a following in a distinct niche, with whom he or she actively engages.

[Mikedenmark]

I am hip ???

Bonus, okaaay... I will settle for a Tesla then. BMW are so oooold fasjion