This theodolite comes in its campaign carrying case for some soldier to lug around, and it's heavy. A little research indicates its origin is Czech and just pre WWII. It looks as if the lid is meant to act as a base for the instrument, but a look did not reveal any obvious way of uniting them. There are lots of twiddly bits on the inside of the lid. If you look down the lens you can see a scale that looks as if it ought to be movable on a rotary way.Like a horizontal drum dial. The sticky out bits on the three posts swivel round and spring back. The instrument seems to be a fairly normal theodolite in decent condition. The base seems to be for a normal tripod fitting. I can't really see the illustration well enough to make out the details of how it should be set up. The lid inverted. all boxed up. Not a mere boat anchor for sure but would military buffs be interested. Someone who has a Chech field artillery gun in their back garden?
I doubt you'll have trouble finding a market for it, and not just military. I saw a WWII short on a movie channel once that said that graduated scales on glass during that period were constructed of spider web.
All these I've seen mount on a tripod much like a camera tripod but often a bit sturdier, and of course painted to match the instrument.
The illustration, which is down in the bottom of the box, seems to show it mounted on the case lid. I will try to get a clearer picture just of that label.
Was made by optical maker Srb & Stys in Prague. They were in biz starting 1919 but are apparently gone or absorbed now.
Interesting-maybe the box fits on the tripod then the instrument atop that, but in operation the instrument base has to be firmly fixed in the ground for accuracy-that's why a tripod always seems to be involved.
These are used for artillery surveying. The Czech one will operate almost exactly like the two U.S. Types mentioned in these detailed instructions. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/6-2/Ch3.htm
