Historical information
While telescopes and binoculars each have a long history, handheld optical telescopes were still widely used in the Nineteenth Century. The origins of this small optical telescope are unclear, apart from that it was used by a family in Kew in the 1880s.
Physical description
Brass, brown leather and glass telescope, anecdotally recorded as used by an early Kew family at sports days in the 1880s
Inscriptions & markings
Separate later label: "Early telescope owned by a Kew family & used on Sports Day in 1880s"
