Bausch & Lomb

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THE SURVEYING INSTRUMENTS OF BAUSCH & LOMB

 

Bausch & Lomb Optical Company (now just Bausch & Lomb, Incorporated), was founded in 1853 by John J. Bausch and Henry Lomb.  German born, Bausch and Lomb settled in Rochester, New York, where John Bausch started a small business making eyeglasses.  He was soon joined by Henry Lomb.  The firm remained small until they bought the rights to make eyeglass frames of "Vulcanite", an early form of hard rubber.  By the late 19th century the firm was flourishing with John's son, Edward Bausch,  taking a very active role.  Edward Bausch added the manufacture of microscopes to the company's product line, and by 1900, the company was making microscopes and accessories, slide and opaque projectors, photographic lenses and prism binoculars--but no surveying or engineering instruments. 

 

That changed in 1905 when George N. Saegmuller moved his company from Washington, D. C. to join with Bausch & Lomb  in a new firm, the Bausch, Lomb, Saegmuller Company.  This new company was established to manufacture geodetic and engineering instruments and, most importantly, rangefinders and gun sighting devices for military use.  This firm continued from the spring of 1905 to the end of 1907. 

  

For some years previously, Bausch & Lomb had been making binoculars and photographic lenses under license to Carl Zeiss, of Jena, Germany; the world's leading optical manufacture at that time.  In 1907, Zeiss bought 20% of Bausch & Lomb and about 33% of Bausch, Lomb, Saegmuller.

 

The company was renamed Bausch & Lomb but was known as the "Triple Alliance" and the new logo featured three prisms, each with the initials of the participating organizations:  "B-L", "Z" and "S".  This partnership continued until November 1915 when the conflicts of World War I ended the "Triple Alliance" because Bausch & Lomb was selling military equipment to Great Britain, Germany's enemy.

 

Production of surveying instruments ceased sometime between the entry of the United States into World War I in April 1917 and the spring of 1918, when production of goods for civilian use was suspended.  Bausch & Lomb concentrated its efforts on making rangefinders, gun sights, binoculars, trench periscopes, search light mirrors, optical glass and other materials for military use.  At the end of World War I in 1918, Bausch & Lomb decided not to return to making engineering instruments.  Competition from long established firms like W. & L. E. Gurley, Keuffel & Esser, Buff & Buff, and C. L. Berger & Sons was too great.  Bausch & Lomb had developed a very successful military business which it continued to exploit.    ~Thomas Garver

 

 

 

ALL INSTRUMENTS PICTURED IN THE BAUSCH & LOMB DISPLAY ARE OWNED BY

THE MUSEUM OF SURVEYING

LANSING, MICHIGAN

 

Mining & Reconnaissance Transit thought to have been used in the building of

the Sault Locks

     

Transit with Saegmuller Solar attachment donated by the estate of

RALPH MOORE BERRY

 

 

 
 

Transit with auxiliary telescope

and counterpoise plummet

   
 
 

Engineers Precise Level

donated by

David Lee Ingram

   
 
 

8" Theodolite with European

3 screw base

   
 
  Miniature Alidade
   
 
 

Precise Dumpy Level made to the specifications of the U. S. Coast and

Geodetic Survey

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

 

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