Friday, October 10, 2008

Contraption

This picture was taken about 1911. It shows a man with some sort of contraption. I have no idea what the device is that he is holding. It appears to be some sort of precision equipment. It looks like he is holding a pocket watch in his hand, as if he is timing something. Does anyone have any idea what the device is he is working with?

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16 comments:

  1. I could be way off, but I think it might be some sort of solar camera. It has an altitude-azimuth mounting. The watch would be needed to time an exposure. The shutter could be a simple metal plate that I think I see there sort of hanging down on the larger round metal plate at the open end of the main tube.

    That guy bears a resemblance to a young Albert Einstein.

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  2. It looks like a short fishing rod thingy.

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  3. its a early verion of the pocket fisherman from popeil

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  4. no clue- but that guy is a dead ringer for Sam Elliott!!

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  5. I think its a microscope OR telescope. It has a little wheel thingy at the bottom like you could adjust the focus. Interesting picture. They wore WAY too many clothes in the olden days..lol

    Mom

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  6. Are you sure that this is not a picture of Sam Elliot????

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  7. How about a super flare gun for starting boat races?????

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  9. i think it is an antique surveyors transit

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  10. in addition to previous i believe it is a campass he is holdint, not a watch

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  11. I dont think he is a surveyor. It all looks much too sinister to be a surveyor. No, he is holding a watch. Timimg down the minutes until he turns the ugly little thing on.

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  12. This is definitely a telescope

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  13. Looks alot like a solar telescope or viewer to me.

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  14. IT HAS TO BE A FISHING REEL.
    HE CAUGHT THE "BIG ONE" BUT IT GOT AWAY....LOOK AT THE EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE...THE FISH TOOK THE TOP OF THE FISHING POLE WITH IT !!

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  15. I'm pretty certain it's used to view solar corona. The long tube is used to 'sight' the sun in the main optics by indirectly viewing the light coming down the shaft to get it aligned. You adjust it so light passes straight through to the near end, making it unnecessary to look UP at the sun to get it aligned properly.

    The discs out in front block the central field so that the corona is all that's visible (an artificial 'solar eclipse').

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  16. the man is a gauger the contraption is a combination Oil Thief and Centrifuge for checking crude oil quality

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