Rare 4-inch Astronomical Refracting Telescope by William Gardam & Sons

Description:

Rare 4-inch Astronomical Refracting Telescope by William Gardam & Sons, New York, the 53-inch laquered-brass body-tube with rack-and-pinion focusing eyepiece, three eyepiece extension tubes, prism-finder, starfinder with draw-tube, and objective lens cap, held with two brass rings on green-painted equatorial mount with geared elevation 0-90 and lateral-adjustment weight, on mahogany tripod with three locking struts, in fitted mahogany case, wd. 59 in.; a Barrit-Serviss printed Star and Planet Finder map; astronomical chart; and literature.

Literature: David Garcelon, "William Gardam and Sons: Makers of Engineering, Surveying and Astronomical Instruments," in Rittenhouse, (1995),9.2.

Note: William and Joseph Gardam are first listed in 1872, living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, as instrument makers specializing in engineering, surveying and astronomical equipment. In 1882, Frederick Gardam joined the firm. The firm advertised equatorial mounts for astromical telescopes, as well as a portable 4-inch refracting telescope with equatorial mount discussed in the 1891 issue of Scientific America. Frederick also tried (unsuccessfully) to patent an astronomical telescope in 1886. When he left the firm, William and Joseph resumed trading as Wm. Gardam & Son. The telescope offered here is believed to be the only surving example produced by this maker.
Estimate $6,000-8,000

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