Rare Four-Draw Refracting Telescope by George Adams Senior, 1752

With ¾-inch diameter objective lens, polished shagreen-covered body tube, vellum-covered pasteboard draw tubes with gold tooling, the outer tube embossed “G. Adams, Fleet Street, London", the inner two with ink scales calibrated 0–30, the smallest with manuscript paper label signed and monogrammed “Geo. Adams", “No. 98" and dated “Jan. 25, 1752", with lacquered brass mounts and sprung sliding dust-covers, length closed 9 ½ in. (24 cm), missing eyepiece lens, otherwise excellent original condition. – Provenance: Exceptional Scientific and Engineering Works of Art, Christie's South Kensington, 8 April 2004, Lot 11. – References: Auction Team Breker, 24 May 2014, Lot 118, a similar manuscript label on an Adams sea quadrant of 1751 (now in the collection of the Mariner's Museum and Park, Virginia). – Silvio Bedini quoted in “From Earth-Bound to Satellite, Telescopes, Skills and Networks". Ed. Georgio Strano, p. 68. – Bedini characterises the construction of early hand-held telescopes as having pasteboard draw tubes covered in leather or parchment and decorated with gold tooling similar to the work found on book bindings from the 12th century onwards. This mid-18th century example presents finely-tooled decoration and a rare manuscript label.

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)