Brass/Leather Harbor Master Telescope 30" - Leather

Though the basic concept for the antique brass spyglass had come about prior to 1608, this is the year the first patent for this tool was applied for. Beginning a revolution in astronomic and military practices, becoming a common tool aboard naval and private ships, the brass nautical telescope used concave eyepieces along with an objective lens, made from quartz crystal, which produced a magnified but blurred image. In 1611 Johannes Kepler invented his own telescope using a convex eyepiece that drastically improved on the focusing power, yet inverted the image. As quality and design improved, and with the Industrial Revolution allowing for better manufacturing, the antique brass spyglass spread throughout Europe. In 1733 the first achromatic refracting lens was created using two lenses, one concave and one convex placed back to back, allowing for smaller, more manageable, telescopes to be created. Up until this point creating a telescope with great magnification required building one that was massive and stationary, and they were individually designed. By the late18th century, however, using the most modern technology it became possible to manufacture the antique brass spyglass on a larger scale with a smaller size. The early modern telescope was a design that became common among sea farers, naval and pirate alike, and these original nautical telescopes were crafted from leather and wood, and later of solid telescope brass. Used throughout the age of sail, sailors used the telescope to spot approaching ships, enemy targets, and obstacles in the high seas.