Bausch & Lomb-Zeiss-Saegmuller 6x30 Binoculars c.1914
A pair of Bausch & Lomb-Zeiss-Saegmueller individual eyepiece focussing, 6x30 binoculars. They are marked on the left rear prism housing “Zeiss Prism Stereo/6x30 and on the right, “Bausch & Lomb Optical Company Rochester N.Y.” and the triple prism logo with “B-L, Z and S” in each facet (see below). They date from between 1908 and 1915 (see below). There is no serial number.
The case, whether original to the binoculars or not, is certainly contemporary with them. It is marked on the lid with 14th Bty CFA (Canadian Field Artillery) and a broad arrow enclosed in a serif letter C denoting Canadian Government property. Perhaps surprisingly, the binoculars themselves have no military/government markings, although on the top left prism housing there is deep scratching where possibly someone wanted to erase any arrow mark.
I found the 13th and 15th Batteries CFA, but no reference to a 14th Bty CFA. the closest I found was that the British 14th (Lancashire) Bty RFA of the 3rd West Lancashire Brigade was attached to the 2nd Canadian Division from 1915 to 1916, when they were reassigned to the British 55th Division; but I would not expect them to have used CFA in their title during this period.
In 1853, German emigré John Jacob Bausch set up a small optical workshop in Rochester, New York. With the help of Jacob’s friend Henry Lomb, the business grew and they entered into partnership. In 1892, they cooperated with Carl Zeiss, receiving licenses to produce Zeiss camera lenses and Zeiss patented binoculars in America.
In 1904 Zeiss wanted to supply the US Navy with gunsights, but found that another German emigré, George Saegmuller, had cornered this market. Zeiss proposed to George that they set up in business together in Washington. George declined, stating he had agreed to move to Rochester to merge with Bausch & Lomb. Despite the fact that nothing was legally binding, he had given his word and would not go back on it, joining Bausch & Lomb in 1905 to form the Bausch-Lomb-Saegmuller Company, although the name reverted to just Bausch & Lomb in 1907.
In 1908 Zeiss formed a corporate marriage with Bausch & Lomb and the company became the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, known familiarly as “The Triple Alliance” of Bausch & Lomb, Zeiss and Saegmuller. The understanding was that Bausch & Lomb would not supply optics in Europe, and Zeiss (Jena) would not supply optics to North America.Their corporate logo was a triple prism each facet containing initials of the three - B-L, Z and S. In 1915, this partnership was dissolved because Bausch & Lomb started supplying optical equipment to Britain and Canada, both enemies of Germany, and Britain being in Europe; thus Zeiss returned its stock to the company, for four million marks. Where previously the left rear prism housing had carried the Zeiss name and the right that of Bausch & Lomb, the Zeiss name disappeared, the logo becoming a single prism with “USA” in it.
If “supplying Germany’s enemies” was a factor in Zeiss withdrawing, this is a bit rich. since when the “Rubber for Glass” deal was secretly negotiated in 1915, whereby Britain would supply Germany with much needed rubber in exchange for equally much needed binoculars and sniper scopes, Zeiss (Jena) stepped in offering to supply thousands of binoculars to the British. Reports differ as to whether any rubber or optics were exchanged; officially no such trade took place, bur some sources state that 30,000 binoculars were supplied by the end of 1915, with presumably, rubber going the other way.
Bausch & Lomb-Zeiss-Saegmuller 6x30 Binoculars c.1914
A pair of Bausch & Lomb-Zeiss-Saegmueller individual eyepiece focussing, 6x30 binoculars. They are marked on the left rear prism housing “Zeiss Prism Stereo/6x30 and on the right, “Bausch & Lomb Optical Company Rochester N.Y.” and the triple prism logo with “B-L, Z and S” in each facet (see below). They date from between 1908 and 1915 (see below). There is no serial number.
The case, whether original to the binoculars or not, is certainly contemporary with them. It is marked on the lid with 14th Bty CFA (Canadian Field Artillery) and a broad arrow enclosed in a serif letter C denoting Canadian Government property. Perhaps surprisingly, the binoculars themselves have no military/government markings, although on the top left prism housing there is deep scratching where possibly someone wanted to erase any arrow mark.
I found the 13th and 15th Batteries CFA, but no reference to a 14th Bty CFA. the closest I found was that the British 14th (Lancashire) Bty RFA of the 3rd West Lancashire Brigade was attached to the 2nd Canadian Division from 1915 to 1916, when they were reassigned to the British 55th Division; but I would not expect them to have used CFA in their title during this period.
In 1853, German emigré John Jacob Bausch set up a small optical workshop in Rochester, New York. With the help of Jacob’s friend Henry Lomb, the business grew and they entered into partnership. In 1892, they cooperated with Carl Zeiss, receiving licenses to produce Zeiss camera lenses and Zeiss patented binoculars in America.
In 1904 Zeiss wanted to supply the US Navy with gunsights, but found that another German emigré, George Saegmuller, had cornered this market. Zeiss proposed to George that they set up in business together in Washington. George declined, stating he had agreed to move to Rochester to merge with Bausch & Lomb. Despite the fact that nothing was legally binding, he had given his word and would not go back on it, joining Bausch & Lomb in 1905 to form the Bausch-Lomb-Saegmuller Company, although the name reverted to just Bausch & Lomb in 1907.
In 1908 Zeiss formed a corporate marriage with Bausch & Lomb and the company became the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company, known familiarly as “The Triple Alliance” of Bausch & Lomb, Zeiss and Saegmuller. The understanding was that Bausch & Lomb would not supply optics in Europe, and Zeiss (Jena) would not supply optics to North America.Their corporate logo was a triple prism each facet containing initials of the three - B-L, Z and S. In 1915, this partnership was dissolved because Bausch & Lomb started supplying optical equipment to Britain and Canada, both enemies of Germany, and Britain being in Europe; thus Zeiss returned its stock to the company, for four million marks. Where previously the left rear prism housing had carried the Zeiss name and the right that of Bausch & Lomb, the Zeiss name disappeared, the logo becoming a single prism with “USA” in it.
If “supplying Germany’s enemies” was a factor in Zeiss withdrawing, this is a bit rich. since when the “Rubber for Glass” deal was secretly negotiated in 1915, whereby Britain would supply Germany with much needed rubber in exchange for equally much needed binoculars and sniper scopes, Zeiss (Jena) stepped in offering to supply thousands of binoculars to the British. Reports differ as to whether any rubber or optics were exchanged; officially no such trade took place, bur some sources state that 30,000 binoculars were supplied by the end of 1915, with presumably, rubber going the other way.