From the bow of a ship, a lone sailor trains his eyes to the horizon to watch its changes. The long metal tube that is known as a telescope is perched in one of his eyes and he scans the sea with it. With his augmented vision, a sailor can see and warn the crew of threats on the wide ocean long before the ship is in the midst of said threat. Whirlpools are notoriously hard to see on the horizon, but a skilled sailor, with the help of a telescope, most certainly can pick them out without trouble. Without the aid of a telescope, sailing in times gone by would have been next to impossible. Telescopes are brought onboard ships today as a safety precaution and part of a vital toolbox of seafaring instruments.

The backstory of antique telescopes almost eclipses their luster and high quality make. Because so many antique telescopes are in near mint condition, the telescope is thought to be a decorative item that preserves itself well over many years. Since bronze and brass are both metals used many times in maritime device-making, antique telescopes are made of these two metals more than any other. Brass is a unique material in that it remains largely unaffected by the sea salt and the rust the ocean causes. Often, these items will be polished to perfection, and may even seem as though they are polished when they are not. The chemical composition of brass allows it to age and oxidize better than many other metals. Brass reacts well to touch, and absorbs oils on human skin in order to shine and retain its beautiful golden luster. While many people prefer brass metal for their telescopes, still others prefer silver and tin.

Because these items are so engaging to use, they have not lost their popularity as newer technologies have replaced them. The telescope is ingrained in our hearts as a symbol of curiosity, adventure, and thrills. Creating antique telescopes in the past was an expensive business, and as such only captains and quartermasters would carry a telescope as it was far too valuable to trust in the hands of other sailors. Because of this scarcity, viewing a vista through a captain's telescope was often deemed a privilege. Often, a backup telescope would be stowed somewhere within the captain's cabin. Until telescopes were fastened around the wrist with string, many were lost overboard.

One great draw of antique telescopes is that they are slender and thin enough to display almost anywhere in the house or office. Antique telescopes are designed in such a way as to fall into segments and retract into a single tube. These tubes are usually no more than four inches thick, perfect for carrying. Other telescopes do not retract at all, and should not be forced.
The pasts of these items is as varied as their make and shapes, and they are wonderful pieces of decoration as well as use. The clean lines of the telescope and its deep, rich luster may also be enhanced by the fact that the item has small dents, nicks, rusts, or dull patches. These slight imperfections come together to make an intensely authentic piece of decorative work that will not go unnoticed.

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