Here, I will take a look at some of the binoculars in my collection that don't conform to the norms of traditional binocular design. Classic binoculars of Galilean, Porro-prism, or roof-prism design, have for much of their history conformed to certain aesthetic and functional design traditions that we're all familiar with. From time to time, however, makers have come up with interesting and unusual deviations from this, some of which are a disaster, and some of which work pretty well. Here are just a few of them:
Here are two pairs of triple-optic Galilean binoculars by Lemaire of Paris. These were manufactured for international sale, frequently bearing a brand-name of the retailer. They have a small knob on the side which, when turned, selects one of three pairs of eyepiece lenses. These are Theatre for closer observation, Field for medium distances, and Marine for long distances. The knob has the Lemaire bee symbol on it.
The larger pair shown here has the classic Lemaire bee symbol on the knob, but no maker's or retailer's name. The three lens positions on this are marked Teatro, Campo, and Marina, suggesting they were exported for sale in Italy.
The smaller pair has the retailer's name W. Heath, Plymouth, on the eyepieces, along with the bee symbol. William Heath was an optician and scientific instrument maker trading in Plymouth, England during the late 19th century.
This next pair is also from Lemaire. It is a pair of clam-shell style folding opera glasses, made during the late 19th century. It came in a pigskin pouch with a clasp, which was probably original.
Although this is a little awkward to hold to the eyes, it works perfectly, and is a superb little opera glass. The clam-shell is covered in dark brown leather, and the eyepieces are marked Lemaire Fabt Paris, along with the bee symbol. The bee symbol also appears on the end-plate for the central focusing bar.
This is a pair of miniature Porro prism binoculars, perhaps designed as an opera glss. They are only 85mm wide at the widest point With no maker's name, this pair is a bit of a mystery.
With 3x magnification, 12.5mm objective, and adjustable interocular distance of approximately 58mm to 68mm, this is a surprisingly useable and fun little pair of binoculars.
Back with the folding binocular concept, here we have a pair by Mars, inscribed:
Jumelle "Mars"
Brevetée France Étranger
Modèle Militaire.
Brevetée France Étranger is French for Patented in France and abroad. Whether this was genuinely used as a military binocular, I do not know.
This next folding binocular is by Zenith, marked as Super Zenith.
This is very similar to the Tasco binoculars used by Timothy Dalton in an early scene of the Bond film, The Living Daylights. Fun as these binoculars are, I cannot believe that this kind has ever been used by the Secret Service.
Here we have another concept that works far better than you might imagine. This is the Kershaw Sportsman, designed to be worn like a pair of glasses. Once again we come back to Timothy Dalton as Bond, who wore a pair similar to these in - you guessed - The Living Daylights.
With a relatively low magnification of about 2 or 2½, these Kershaw binoculars give a surprisingly useful view, for example, at a sporting event such as horse-racing, where too much magnification narrows the field-of-view too far. Each barrel focuses individually, and the interocular distance can be adjusted.
This next one is a humdinger. It is Aitchison's Patent Pocket Binocular Field Glasses.
There is a lot to say about this very special pair of binoculars, which is why I've given it a blog post of its own, which you can see here.
For more information about binoculars, the makers mentioned here, and a great deal more, refer to Brass and Glass: Optical Instruments and Their Makers. Please click here, or on the cover image to the right, to find out more.
All photos and text © Tony Benson 2025
