Guess what this is a photo of!

[phinz]

It is that, sort of, but what does it do? If you know what it does, you'll know what it is.

 

[VaporTrail]

Is it an adjustable field of view limiter?

Attaches to optical instruments. You twist it one way or the other and your field of view expands or contracts without changing magnification?

 

[Buck]

is it part of an optical device?

 

[sage™]

telescope extender ?

 

[phinz]

It is not part of anything. It is a whole. There have been toy versions of this made in recent years, but the actual item came to be at the turn of last the century from the 1800s to 1900s.

I've already given you guys everything you need to name this item. You just have to know what and how to look for it.

 

[miniman]

Is it a loupe - eyepiece lens like the jewellers use?

 

[YT2095]

a Kaleidoscope?
a spectrometer?

 

[sage™]

ahhh..I think its a kaleidoscope too

 

[YT2095]

btw I meant spectroSCOPE not spectroMETER
in this post: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showpost.php?p=522829&postcount=6227

 

[phinz]

You're getting closer, YT, but you're not there yet.

 

[YT2095]

it`s not a Beam splitter is it?
part of a Theodolite or Sextant?

 

[pacanis]

I just want to say that I'm running into some pretty disturbing stuff searching for this object Some pretty cool stuff, too, but some pretty disturbing items.....

 

[YT2095]

a Prism? (nicol type)

 

[Bilby]

I just want to say that I'm running into some pretty disturbing stuff searching for this object Some pretty cool stuff, too, but some pretty disturbing items.....

 

[VaporTrail]

Hmm... does it contain a multifaceted crystal or piece of glass that creates multiple images of whatever it's pointed at...

Looking through it would kinda give you the illusion of looking at the world through a fly's eyes.

Dunno what it's called though.


Or perhaps a polarizing eyepiece for an old microscope?

 

[phinz]

It is not a prism or a kaleidoscopic eyepiece. It is not a part of anything. It is a whole unit.

You can turn on safe search in Google and you won't get the disturbing images.

 

[VaporTrail]

Figured out what I thought it might have been... a Teleidoscope...

Hmm...

"Light part" is close... but not really.

someone versed in "Obscure scientific stuff" might get it

If you know what it does, you know what it is.

Toy versions have been made. First came to be at turn of 19 to 20th century

Whole Unit.


I'm stumped... I don't think there's really enough data to get it without simply slinging out WAGs.

 

[pacanis]

I used to have one of those. I might still have it up in the attic somewhere....
I remember getting it at the Montreal expo when I was a kid. Pretty cool toy, IMO much better than a kaleidoscope, but I don't know if it's making a comeback. Of course, it's been a while since I've been in a toy store, too.

 

[phinz]

It's not a Teleidoscope.

I've given you every part of the unit's name in at least one previous post, if you can figure out how to put the parts together to get the whole.

You look through it. You see things. It was designed in the early 1900s.

 

[Renee Attili]

a camera lens?