Featured Edwardian-era Nickel & Brass lorgnette Opera Glasses. Ca. 1905. S. Dawson & Co.

How's this for a cheap win at the auction-house? 50% below the lowest estimate...



Nickel-plated, brass construction with yellow/creamy-tinted resin or plastic (celluloid?) over the top. Decorated with tiny, nickel stars and ivy-leaves around the body and edges.

No damage to the lenses, and fully operational. Slides and focuses smoothly with no blemishes, and the handle swings and extends perfectly.

There is SOME loss of decoration to the handle, but for a part of the glasses that...obviously...gets touched every single time they're used, it doesn't bother me. It was bound to happen anyway.



Someone (presumably the person who submitted them to the auction) had a price-tag of $500 on these! I can only say that they would be VERY, VERY, VERY upset, if they knew what I paid for them! LOL!!



Apart from cleaning the lenses, they required no attention at all.



These are proof, if any was ever needed, that you don't need to spend a fortune to own beautiful, functional, and decorative antiques!!

Also, the eyepieces are marked:

"STEWART DAWSON & Co" / "LONDON & PERTH".

Researching this to see what comes up...

Here they are with the rest of their brethren...

 

I have discovered our manufacturer! Stewart Dawson & Company!

David Stewart Dawson (1849-1932).

Manufacturing jeweler and watchmaker, born in Scotland. Lived in Sydney, Australia, with branches in Melbourne, Sydney, London, Auckland, Dunedin, Wellington, and Perth!

According to his Wikipedia page, Mr. Dawson became a VERY wealthy man!

Founded the company of Stewart Dawson & Co. in 1886!



The former Stewart Dawson & Co. jewelry store in Wellington, NZ.

...I wonder if they want their opera-glasses back?

 

I'd estimate these in a UK auction at £30 to £50. Getting things for half the estimate depends a lot on what the estimate was.

I cannot tell from the pictures but some similar handles and barrel covers can be ivory.

 

OK, Shangas, now YOU'RE starting to make me envious, what with all of your lovely little opera glasses!!!!!

 

It is well known that before the invention of utes for roo hunting, opera going was a major Australian pastime, as evidenced by one building in Sydney that most recognise is the opera house.
Australian opera singers led to the invention of the Peach Melba, something the world would be poorer without.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach_Melba

 

It's not ivory, I've handled enough ivory to recognise it when I see it. It might be trying to simulate it, though. I don't believe it to be celluloid. The house identified it simply as 'resin'.

And in case you're wondering AF, they also estimated $100-$200. I paid (+premium) $60.00. And if that horrifies you - they came with a previous-seller tag on them which was $490.00

See what I mean when I say antiques in Australia are overpriced?

Aquitaine, what you see there represents about 5 years' worth of opera-glass/binocular/telescope collecting. I have sold a couple of pieces in that time, and I have other pieces there which I still want to sell.

 

I love them very nice...I have a pair, negretti and zambra

 

Any pictures?

 

Hi. I have a pair of antique opera gloves of kidskin in a case. They would go well with your opera collection. Interested?

 

I have gloves already, but thanks for the thought. I'm sure someone would love them though.

 

Double-post.