Antique US Navy French Made Binoculars,

Description: I believe these to be WW1 Era made by La Reine of Paris. A google search reveals the following information: Before World War I, America imported most of its optical goods from Germany and Austria. Following the nation’s entry into the war, the US Navy faced a severe shortage of binoculars, telescopes, and spyglasses. Franklin D. Roosevelt, then Secretary of the Navy, initiated the “Eyes for the Navy” program to which American citizens loaned their glasses, binoculars, and telescopes. In his appeal to the public, Roosevelt alluded to German U-boat attacks, stating that “more ‘eyes’ are needed on shipboard than ever before to maintain the constant and efficient lookout for the submarine.” Americans donated over 51,000 glass objects to the program. The US Navy recorded the name and address of the donor and engraved a serial number on each object. As the government was required to pay for all services and materiel, donors received one dollar for the rental of their glasses. After the war, the glasses were returned to their owners with an engraved certificate signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Whilst I have not been able to find who these were originally rented from, there is a serial number on the glass 15366 and the words U-S Navy. I believe this is the information regarding the rental information. These are very rare and in very good condition, for age, ---see photos and ask questions--given the environment in which they were used. A case does not come with these binoculars. Binoculars stand Apx 5 1/4 in tall and weigh 1 lb 9 oz before packing for careful shipping. Finally, focusing works well and optics have been cleaned and tested for function.

Price: 249 USD

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

End Time: 2023-10-23T21:55:03.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD