A GEORGE III LACQUERED-BRASS REFLECTING TELESCOPE

BY FRANCIS WATKINS, THIRD QUARTER 18TH CENTURY

Price realised GBP 10,157
Estimate
GBP 3,000 – GBP 5,000
Estimates do not reflect the final hammer price and do not include buyer's premium, and applicable taxes or artist's resale right. Please see Section D of the Conditions of Sale for full details.
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A GEORGE III LACQUERED-BRASS REFLECTING TELESCOPE

BY FRANCIS WATKINS, THIRD QUARTER 18TH CENTURY

Price realised GBP 10,157
Closed: 14 May 2003
Price realised GBP 10,157
Closed: 14 May 2003
Details
A GEORGE III LACQUERED-BRASS REFLECTING TELESCOPE
BY FRANCIS WATKINS, THIRD QUARTER 18TH CENTURY
The 23-inch (60cm.) long body tube with primary and secondary speculum mirrors, dust cover, starfinder, eyepiece extension tube and screw-rod focusing adjustment. The body tube is raised on a spoked vertical half-circle with racked edge for tangent screw vertical adjustment, with screw clamp, over enclosed tangent screw horizontal adjustment with screw clamp (both ivory turning-handles missing) contained at the top of the tapering octagonal-section brass column with circular base plate and three folding inswept legs with scroll feet. The side of the barrel is applied with the remains of a printed paper concerning Francis Watkins, which is duplicated and undamaged on the inside of the lid of the mahogany carrying-case, containing a smoked eyepiece and second extension tube, with two brass carrying-handles, two brass hooks and eyes and a shaped brass key escutcheon, signed on the backplate *Fra. Watkins Charing Cross London, the inside of the case inscribed in late 18th early 19th century hand 'Mr Byron' (the lid is warped and the two fitted slats for securing the telescope are absent)
8½ in. (21.5 cm.) high; 27¼ in. (69 cm.) wide
The barrel of the telescope including the lens: 26 in. (66 cm.) long
Provenance
Mr Byron, according to inscription.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

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