Vintage Van Cort Instrument Makers Charles G Bush Kaleidoscope Signed 2329/2500 for Sale

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Vintage Van Cort Instrument Makers Charles G Bush Kaleidoscope Signed 2329/2500 For Sale

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Vintage Van Cort Instrument Makers Charles G Bush Kaleidoscope Signed 2329/2500:
$439.99

This remarkable, handmade parlor Kaleidoscope is produced in a limited edition of 2500 pieces in the Van Cort instrument-making workshop. Each four-legged pedestal follows the original patented design method and is handcrafted from select mahogany. The wood is then painstakingly, hand-sanded, sealed, and coated with layers of lacquer to give a lustrous look and feel. A detailed stamping appears on the face of one of the four legs. This is a reproduction of the patented makers\' mark of November 17, 1874. The pedestal is then crowned with a solid brass 24K gilded mount.

The barrel is finished beautifully-tailored, full grain black leather. The mechanical object box, with six radiating ship\'s-wheel spokes was lathed from a solid block of brass weighing over 6 pounds. These precisely made components are then meticulously hand buffed to a perfect mirror finish. Each brass part is then layered in 24K gold. The chamberbox exterior is hallmarked with the \"C. G. Bush & Co. Prov. R. I. Patent Re-Issued November 11, 1873\", with his original engraving of a kaleidoscope.

Beneath the removable leather eye cap, the 24K gilded maker\'s plate is signed \"Van Cort\" with the limited edition number engraved belo.

Peering into the kaleidoscope quickly demonstrates the high degree of optical excellence for which Van Cort Instruments is known. The ocular is a precision-ground glass optical element to enlarge and focus the chamberbox image. The tapered, first-surface mirrors cut on an 85° angle give the sharpest possible image with the least loss of reflective light. The mirror coatings will return over 90% of the light striking them. Set to an 18° angle, the mirrors give a ten divisional image of 36 each. This is Bush\'s own formula, and is instantly recognizable as a signature of his kaleidoscopes.

And last, but not least, are the recreations of the original chamberbox glass specimens. They are made up of glass rods, intricately-twisted and looped, colored strands, cuts of multicolored German sheet glass, and his patented, liquid-filled ampules. The original Bush glass has been expertly analyzed for correct color match.