19th c. Leather Wrapped Opera Binoculars with Bee Stamp Case c.1880
ABOUT
A pair of 19th century leather wrapped binoculars and original leather case with bee stamp brass handle. Good working order with clear binocular viewing. This piece has retained its original finish
- CREATOR LeMaire, Paris, France.
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DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1880s
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MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Metal, Enamel, Optical Glass. Leather.
- CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use.
- DIMENSIONS H 3 in. W 4 in. D 1.5 in., Case: H 3 in. W 4.5 in. D 2 in.
HISTORY
The Lemaire firm began in 1846 in Paris, rue Oberkampf 22 & 26 by Armand Lemaire. They produced a variety of optical apparatus including binoculars until 1955 and exported their goods all over the world.
In 1885 Armand Lemaire died and his son in law Jean Baptiste Baille took over the running of the Baille Lemaire group. As an aspiring entrepreneur Baille set up a factory in the Essonne at Crosne and expanded into the car industry (1886 and 1903). The Baille Lemaire group were also involved in the production of medals, coins and tokens. Later they became involved in trains and worked with the EDF (French electricity), the SNCF (French rail network), the RATP (Paris public transport) and the French Army.
