Original Item: Only of a Kind. Another named Officer’s telescope from the fabulous Optics Collection IMA secured earlier in 2018 which have now all arrived in New Jersey. It is four drawer, made of brass and has a brown leather covering and sun shade. It extends to about 35 inches overall, including the sun shade to front which is somewhat stiff, and collapses to just 11 inches overall closed. The image it gives is just fine and it has been stored carefully for many years, so the condition is very nice. The only real issue is that the stitching on the leather sunshade cover has popped a bit towards the end.
This telescope was made and marked by DOLLOND of LONDON, a Company started by the very famous OPTICIAN John Dollond, who lived from 1706 to 1761. His firm then continued in business for more than two hundred years.The rearmost barrel is graduated in yardage intervals of 250 to 400 yards for Trench Warfare (marked 25/30/35/40), and the second barrel carries the engraved name of the original WW1 owner:-
MAJ. P. L. INGPEN
W. YORKS. REGt.
We know from research that Major Percy Leigh Ingpen was with the The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) during WWI. This is a storied regiment, first raised by Sir Edward Hales in 1685 as “Hale’s Regiment.” It was then named the 14th Regiment of Foot, followed by various name and location changes before finally becoming the West Yorkshire Regiment in 1934.
Ready to display or use.