Looks like a projector ...

[CollinB]

Wife and I went away for our annual anniversary weekend.
Did a little bit of antiquing. No serious buying.
I got one lens and she got a nice Hummel bell.
But in one store in rural Ohio we saw this.
Looks like an old plate projector.
It is Bausch & Lomb.
But beyond that I know nothing.
Since this type of lens has no diaphram it is probably early 1880s or late 1870s, but that's my only guess.
I just wasn't ready to pay $500 for it, or even negotiate, given the bellows condition.

 

[flashflint]

I have seen those before in shops in rural Michigan for closer to $20. If I remember, one gentleman told me he had gotten it from an old dentists office, didn't know anything else.

 

[rrankin]

Looks like a magic lantern projector to me. The lens was probably not worth much either. You can get similar stuff off Ebay in better condition for way less money. For $500, you can get a gorgeous British type magic lantern that works and looks like a work of art of brass and wood.

Richard

 

[athanasius80]

Looks like a very early B&L Balopticon projector. Its probably a magic lantern for quarter plate (3.25x4.25 inch) slides. You can find complete ones on epay for much less.

 

[Whiteymorange]

I think it is a Balopticon projector too. I have two of these from the early 1900's, each with the capability of projecting an image from a postcard- opaque projectors. One has a separate set of lenses and a bellows for magic lantern slides. The lenses are petzvals, rather nice, in fact, but the cost of mine (free and $3) makes me blanch at the price tag on the one in that window. Mine were each in good, almost usable condition (the magic lantern lens set on one was missing an element, but the larger, opaque-projector lens covers 8x10, so I didn't sweat it at $3.)