Old Telescope ID: USN OOD Spyglass

[navyman]

Hi,

I bought this today at the Allentown gun show along with a 1920's navy uniform and hat. This telescope is about 46 inches when extended out. I don't see no marking. I'm not sure what time era this was used or what branch of service. I was told it was around the civil war era and the white covering signifies watch officer, but I have no idea.

Could anyone tell me anything about this piece.

 

Jason

 

 

[navyman]

[Brad1]

This does look to be Civil War era. Under the white covering is it mahogany wood?

[navyman]

This does look to be Civil War era. Under the white covering is it mahogany wood?

 

No,

It's the same metal as the rest of the piece. The guy I got this off of, had another one , but that one had leather. The leather slide off by accident and there was markings under there. That might be where the markings are on this piece. He keep that one.

 

Jason

[sigsaye]

This is called an "OOD Spy Glass" (OOD meaning Officer Of the Deck). They have been in use for over a hundres years and are still in use today. The only way to determine the age is to find some markings and break them down. These same glasses have been used in forgin navies and on merchat ships. Nice piece either way. Most of those made during WW2 had bakelite on them and are dated in the '40s. I haven't seen any dated after the war. They must have made a bunch of them since they are still on every ship in the fleet.

 

Steve Hesson

[navyman]

This is called an "OOD Spy Glass" (OOD meaning Officer Of the Deck). They have been in use for over a hundres years and are still in use today. The only way to determine the age is to find some markings and break them down. These same glasses have been used in forgin navies and on merchat ships. Nice piece either way. Most of those made during WW2 had bakelite on them and are dated in the '40s. I haven't seen any dated after the war. They must have made a bunch of them since they are still on every ship in the fleet.

 

Steve Hesson

 

Thanks Steve,

I knew I didn't have the name wright. I think the markings may lie under the white canvas material.

Jason

[Salvage Sailor]

This does look to be Civil War era. Under the white covering is it mahogany wood?

 

Aloha,

 

It is the same model spyglass used by the USN over many decades of service (mid-1850's well into the 1900's). The older models are clad in a nice Mahogany veneer.

 

I have an identical spyglass (mahogany clad) that was used by an Ensign who commanded a tinclad gunboat in the Mississippi Squadron which is fortunately engraved with his name. There are no manufacturers markings or date stamps at all on these spyglasses so it's extremely difficult to pin down the date of their manufacture.

 

Also, Steve is quite correct about their being used by foreign navies and merchantmen around the globe.

[Sgt. Boghots]

That's a real nice glass :thumbsup:

 

A good many of these and similar ones also found use on rifle ranges and in shooting competition use, into the 1920's. There were in fact a number of three and four section (or "draw") commercial scopes marketed specifically for that purpose, along with several varieties of scope stands and cradles to place them on, hands free at eye level adjacent to the shooter.

 

I've got a couple variations of the scope stands, and one 4-draw scope in my collection of M1903 Springfield competition shooting equipment.

 

Best regards,

Paul

[Salvage Sailor]

Came across my USN Civil War Spyglass today

 

It's smaller than the Spyglass that Navyman acquired, measuring only 36" when fully drawn, which is quite comfortable to balance on a pitching deck. The spyglass is solid brass & the barrel is clad in red mahogany, and the apertures have the same type of enclosure slides.

 

 

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

The spyglass belonged to the commanding officer of the USS CURLEW, a fourth rate paddle wheel tinclad in the Mississippi Squadron.

 

Acting Ensign H.B. O'Neill

 

[sigsaye]

Additionally, many Naval officers of the day purchased their own equipment such as spy glasses, sextants and such. Men such as Salvage Sailors original spy glass owner were generally already professional seamen and had higher quality gear than that purchased by the Navy for issue. I knew a Chief Quartermaster who had his own sextant and stop watch which he used rather than the "Navy Junk" as he refered to it.

 

During the Civil War, the Term "Acting" or "Volunteer", when attached to an officers rank meant the same as "Reserve" today. These guys were Professional Merchant officers who were given a wartime commission. Quite often, their ship would be taken into Naval service and they would receive an "Acting" /"Volunteer" commission at the same time. When the war ended or their vessel was released, their commission expired. They were also payed for the use of the ship, so pretty good deal all around.

 

Beutiful scope by the way there Salvage, love that stuff. Hated using them, but they do look cool! I know a guy that picked up a scope like yours with the mahogeny and US Navy markings and an 1842 Ames single shot precussion lock pistol that had USN and CSN markings on it for $50 for the pair from a Nashville Antique shop about 10 years ago.

 

Steve Hesson

[Salvage Sailor]

On 4/20/2010 at 4:07 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

The spyglass belonged to the commanding officer of the USS CURLEW, a fourth rate paddle wheel tinclad in the Mississippi Squadron.

 

Acting Ensign H.B. O'Neill

 

 

Stern-wheel Steamer (Tinclad #12): Light Draft Gunboat

USS Curlew underway near Baton Rouge, LA.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Digital Library

 

Pulled from the updated navsource.com files

NavSource Online: "Old Navy" Ship Photo Archive

 

Stern-wheel Steamer (Tinclad #12):

Built in 1862 at Elizabeth, PA., as the stern-wheel steamer SS Florence

Purchased by the Union Navy, 17 December 1862

Converted to a light-draft gunboat, commissioned USS Curlew, 16 February 1863, Acting Master G. Hentig in command

The next day Curlew joined Admiral D. Porter's fleet for patrol and convoy duty in the Mississippi River and its tributaries

Curlew participated in engagement of Confederate troops at Islands No. 67 and 68, from 12 to 20 July 1863

Curlew joined other vessels for an expedition into the Red, Black, Tensas, and Ouachita rivers during which they captured steamer Louisville, steamer Elmira

Curlew served in the Ohio and Tennessee rivers from 23 December 1863 until 14 January 1864

During an engagement, 24 May 1864 with a 12-gun battery at Gaines Landing, Ark., Curlew was struck several times

Curlew stood down the Mississippi, 30 June 1864 and cruised between Natchez and Vicksburg, Miss., having several encounters with enemy land forces

24 October 1864, found Curlew sailing up river to patrol the Ohio and Tennessee

Curlew's final duties consisted of conducting surveys in the Mississippi around Cairo and Mound City from February to 17 June 1865

Decommissioned 5 July 1865 at Mound City, IL.

Sold at Mound City IL., 17 August 1865 to James Polakin in 1865

Final Disposition, fate unknown.Specifications:
Displacement 196 t.
Length 159'
Beam 32' 1"
Draft 4'
Speed 4 kts
Complement unknown

Armament

eight 24-pdr howitzers

Propulsion

steam

stern-wheel