19th c. Leather Wrapped German Alpenglas Binoculars
$150
ABOUT
Antique Alpenglas leather wrapped and brass binoculars manufactured in Germany. Clear lenses and smooth mechanics. "Alpenglas" stamped on both barrels. "Optiker Martin Koch" is engraved on each eyepiece. In the early 1900s, it was standard practice for local master opticians (like Koch) to import high-quality chassis or lenses from specialized French or German optical foundries and engrave their own name and city onto the eyepiece rings.
- CREATOR Alpenglas, Germany. Optiker Martin Koch.
- DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1890-1920.
- MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Brass, Optical Glass, Leather.
- CONDITION Good. With appropriate patina for age. Functions properly. Missing a piece of leather on one barrel.
- DIMENSIONS H 5 in. x W 4.5 in. x D 2 in.
HISTORY
The term "Alpenglas" (Alpine glass) historically refers to a style or marketing moniker for early 20th-century German, Austrian, or Swiss Galilean-type field glasses and opera glasses designed for mountain tracking and outdoor use. In the antique market, binoculars under the "Martin Koch" banner (often marked "Optiker Martin Koch" or similar retail engravings) typically represent pieces commissioned or sold through a specific regional optical workshop or jewelry firm in Central Europe rather than a mass-market industrial manufacturer like Zeiss.
