Marine Revolver 12-20x80, Emil Busch A-G Rathenow, Deck Mounted, around 1915

Marine Revolver Deck Mounted, produced by Emil Busch A-G in Rathenow (Germany), around 1915, to be installed (Deck Mounted) on the decks of ships of the Kaiserliche Marine during the First World War.

It has a double revolver with 12 and 20 magnifications and 80 mm objective lenses which provided the observers on the decks of the ships of the Kaiserliche Marine with a very bright view even at twilight.

The interpupillary distance is set by turning both prism housings. There is a scale for the interpupillary distance on the right prism housing.

The binoculars have retractable sun shade complete with their original covers to protect the lenses.

It is completely made of marine bronze and weighs approximately 8 kg.

It is the only example known to date, with the German Imperial Crown and assignment number imprinted revolver plates.

Original photos demonstrate, given its optical qualities, its use throughout the Second World War.

Emil Busch was the son of the Berlin businessman Ludwig Friedrich Busch and his wife Jeanette, who was the daughter of the optical entrepreneur Johann August Heinrich Duncker who had founded his optical company in 1801. This company passed on to Heinrich’s son, Eduard.

Eventually, Emil Busch took over after his uncle’s death in 1845. Busch quickly introduced new ways of production, invested into machinery and started to develop cameras.

In 1865, he introduced the first anastigmatic lens, the wide angle Pantoskop. He worked closely with Zeiss and, actually, one of the Zeiss sons – Roderich – worked as an intern with the Busch company.

Zeiss and Busch formed a cartel and controlled the optical industry in their day.

Emil Busch was clearly the founder of the modern camera and lens manufacturing, especially of the principle of anastigmatic lenses that could actually be used in daily photography with the kind of glass of available at the time.