Posted 14 years ago
Swanny
(1 item)
Can you help - I do not know what this is - I assume it is for map making or surveying - the name Cassella and No.769 cannot be traced anywhere if you know anything about this or whatever this attaches to I would be most grateful...
http://www.casellausa.com/en/about_us.htm
If you google "Casella, London" you will find a wealth of information. While I did not find the exact item I am sure if you contacted them with pictures they could identify it for you.
Thanks, Savoychina1 I have searched thier site and also found nothing exatly for this equipment, I emailed the company and they have no records dating this far back, I also contacted the Science museum in London who kindly informed me that there may be archives but I would have to get down see and view them...
Wow, you HAVE done you homework ! What are the general dimensions of this ? Does the glass magnify or just allow light through?
Hi, the box is 20inches long so that should give an idea of the rest of it - there are 2 glass plates one fixed with the micrometer and the other adjustable to create a sort of stereoscope both have a black dot in the centre - there is also a spare glass which has measurements on, I have had this for quite a while trying to solve its hidden mystery!!
Thanks. I will see what I can find...I love a mystery too !
You may have already been here but this is such a great book.
http://www.archive.org/stream/illustrateddescr00caserich#page/n141/mode/2up
Swanny, I called CasellaUSA and talked to a very helpful man. He said that when Casella moved out of London to Bedford much of the archival material was lost. He said they get 3 or 4 calls like this a year about instruments that are long out of production. He actually went to the Collectors Weekly website and saw your instrument.
His best explaination was this. In WW II after bombing runs they would send in aircraft with highspeed cameras to record the area. When the film was developed they would take the "before" and the "after" photos side by side and compare them with a stereoptic instrument to determine the amount of damage. This certainly fits for me. What do you think ?
Hi, very interesting - thanks, I have sent a set of pictures to a long retired RAF pilot who used to use these things in training.. will let you know what he thinks
Hi, we have decided that it is nothing to do with the photo reconaisance from WW2.. the equipment was a lot more unsofisticated and did not need the fine adjustment that this offers - at least we know one more thing it is not, so we must be getting closer to a solution!!
Do you know a time frame for this item ? I am enclosing a website for Casella USA. It lists seven evolutions of the company logo. This item is version two. Bob Selwyn, at Casella, may be able to help. You can reach him after the 16th. Perhaps he could help at least with the time frame.
Also, I contacted Nick at Scientific Collectibles and sent him the pics. I will let you know if I think of anything else.
http://www.casellausa.com/en/docs/data/cel/comp_oview/who_are_we.pdf
Whoops, forgot to enclose the main part !
Still no idea!! please keep looking - someone somewhere will know exactly what it is !! thanks for all your efforts so far.