1873 Charles G. Bush Four Leg Table Parlor Kaleidoscope

What is an ophthalmotrope? An ophthalmotrope is an apparatus for demonstrating the movements of the eye and the action of the different muscles which produce them, consisting essentially of a model eyeball to which are attached strings and pulleys to duplicate the line force of the muscles. We think this example is most likely French from the early 20th century. The base is marble with paw feet. It’s also quite large at well over 3 foot tall. This instrument is very complete. It also includes additional parts to set the mechanics up in a different way. In the pictures above the strings are attached to a keyboard. The alternative replaces the keyboard with string guide with a dozen hanging tubular weights. This is one of the largest and most decorative examples we have seen. I have only seen pictures of ophthalmotropes and never one this fine and complete. It’s as rare and impressive show piece. This item was also used in the movie Knives Out,

This is an important handmade large scale papier mâché anatomical model of a horse. It's close to two thirds scale and over four foot long. At the turn of the century France and Berl...

I've had an example of this dress form in my personal collection. It's an amazing piece of engineering and one of my favorite items... something I decided to never sell it. The Lady Claire...

When have you ever seen one of these? This is a first for me. This very unique camera came out of an important 2 generation New York Collection. This was a custom built double exposu...