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I Spy … Cutts Two-draw Spyglass, delightful secret – an oblique
lens and a side aperture, so its
London, 19th century, 2 1/2 owner, though innocently facing
Spyglass monoculars, a type of telescope popular for inch diameter maple and
surreptitious observation, evoke imagery of adventure on the brass main tube with forward, could see sideways!

high seas or in military campaigns. Many were simple, slide covers at each
multi-draw pieces wrought from wood or brass and wrapped end, realized … With My Little Eye
in leather. Some, gifted by descent, hail from the American $185 in 2019
photo:
Revolutionary War, for example, or might even be traced to skinnerinc.com Etuis—tiny, popular, ornamental cases
one of its battles. Other monoculars were engraved with for enclosing personal necessities—also
names of acclaimed military men, like John Henry Hobart featured tiny spy glasses. Thus, while men
Ward, a general in the American Civil War or fellow fighter seemingly sought their ear scoops or snuff
Captain Isaac B. Gildersleeves, who reputedly transported spoons, while women sought their smelling salts or
Northern troops during the Shiloh campaign. perfume vials, they could covertly check out who was
Nobility and the wealthy, who commissioned the most doing what with whom.
beautiful, lavish, handcrafted magnification devices of all, During this era, tiny, inconspicuous spy glass lenses also
however, spied on one another with monocular works concealed innocent looking, very collectible items like pieces of
of art. Many, created by noted makers like P. Cutts & jewelry, snuff boxes, and scent bottles. Ivory, sterling silver, or
Sons, Dollond London, or François de Baillou à brass-mounted fine wood walking sticks cached them as well,
Milan, shimmer with gold, jewels, enamel work, apparently proving useful at eye level when their owners were seated.
and mother of pearl. Through the late 1700s, miniature spy glasses were also hidden in
With the introduction of “jealousy glasses” decorative hand fans. Unlike earlier, simpler peepholes, which formed part
in the 1630s, spying at the theater or the of their designs or were drilled into their frames, these tiny magnifying devices
opera took a secretive, personal turn. The were secreted at their central pivots. This enabled demure ladies, while hiding
goal was to gape – but discreetly. their faces, to unobtrusively take a good look around.
Though this magnification device Spyglasses were also mounted in the thick, ornate guard sticks that radiate from
seemed to be a simple, front-facing, the fan’s central pivot – often a concave lens on the inner one and a convex lens
straight-barreled spyglass, it contained a on the outer. Closing the fan lined up its guards, thus creating a tube-shaped
spyglass with a lens at each end. Its magnification could be adjusted by
separating the guards. If a single concave lens was mounted, it created a sort of
“quizzing glass.”
Quizzing glasses, which feature small, single magnifying lenses set in ornate
frames, were raised to one eye to closely “quiz” (scrutinize) anything or anyone of
interest. Many featured stylish, gold-plated ring handles. Others, like pieces of
jewelry, dangled from elaborate gold chains or black ribbons of varying lengths.
Though most quizzing lenses were simple magnifiers, some may have been set
with corrective lenses created by opticians.
Magnification devices made before 1800 (and some even later) generally feature
lenses made of clear rock crystal. Though heavy and expensive, they were scratch
resistant. While they may not seem attractive by modern standards, many
appreciate their historic appeal.

Gold quizzing glass with ring for ribbon,
unknown maker, France

Show Me More for My Two Eyes

Two monocular telescopes, one per eye, were first paired in the 1600s, creating
binoculars. Yet the first successful model, which featured two individually focused
telescopes attached to a single frame, appeared hundreds of years later. Toward the
1900s, a central-focusing mechanism as well as a prism-erecting system—allowing
the use of more powerful lenses—was added. These double magnification devices
A South Staffordshire enamel combined etui and spyglass circa 1770. were more comfortable to use than the single-lens version. By using eyes naturally,
Realized $1,800 + premium in 2004 photo: bonhams.com fixing on a single point, they also provide realistic, three-dimensional images.

30 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles