Army binoculars in the Bleeker Museum
Posted by janvangelderen on July 6, 2006
Although not being a microscope or part I’m glad to present a new piece for the Bleeker Museum. It is a 6×30 army prism binoculars from the Fifties.
It shows the excellent qualities for which miss Bleeker is known. The first thing literally meets the eye is the quality of the optics – and the precision the instrument has been built. Having observed birds for fifty years or more I call myself a judge on binoculars. Razor-sharp images of great contrast and excellent rendering of colours with an enormous definition. Greatest quality: the rest in the images only obtained by Leitz at the time.
Ultimate fieldtest is ‘Can I distinguish the glimmer in the black eyes of a black coot on great distance?’ Yes. From my balcony I observed that the European swift (Apus apus) has more shades in its feathers than you would think and I was able to distinguish adults from the newly born.
These binoculars are shaped to the hands of men, weigh 578 gram. Having to adjust the eyepieces separately was in the beginning a little cumbersome but worked well and of coarse this is the secret of the dust-free interior. And that would be nice for all prism binoculars: two (red) dry air nipples.
Thanks to mister G. Bernebeer from Groningen I can tell you something of the history of this binoculars. In prewar time the lady constructed a 6×24 binoculars. Some went into the army, some into the resistance. In wartime miss Bleeker worked secretly on the base of the 6×24 on a 6×30 and it is this one I present. Production was undergone after the liberation, this one produced in the new facilities in Zeist. It is not known how long the army used this type for NATO which Holland joined in February 1951 required different specifications. However, the graticule is NATO type.
The binoculars are numbered 21717. Further inscriptions are M.v.O (Ministerie van Oorlog = War Department), 603-N, Dr. C.E. Bleeker Zeist, MEDIBU 6×30. I’m most intrigued what could MEDIBU means. In- and outside comndition is very clean, only some vulcanite on one of the houses is brittle. The whole comes with a genuine leather case. This one marked ‘Prismakijker Bleeker 6×30′.
Harry Hendriks said
Hallo Jan van Gelderen,
Ik kwam je site tegen op Internet.
Waar bevindt zich het Bleeker museum en wie beheert dat?
Groeten van Harry Hendriks,
Apeldoorn
janvangelderen said
Thanks. There is no official Bleeker Museum although Utrecht University does something in that field. Wanted volunteers.
Lucas Koorneef said
Dear Jan,
What a nice site ! I didn’t know Bleeker made binoculars as well !
I’ve some information on the Bleeker factory on my site:
http://www.koorneef.net/bleeker
With kind regards,
Lucas Koorneef
Rolf Vossen said
Beste Jan,
Hoewel Nedoptifa/Bleeker microscopen worden geprezen vraag ik mij toch af waarom er plastic aan die microscopen moest zitten. Zowel de grof- als fijn afstelknoppen waren van plastic, en dat voor die tijd, bah. Los hiervan, tot twee keer toe heb ik een microscoop van Bleeker (de eerste Nedoptifa, de tweede Bleeker) op marktplaats gekocht, en tot twee keer toe was ik teleurgesteld in de matige grof-afstelling van deze microscopen en de totaal niet soepel lopende revolver. Ik heb ze beiden de deur uit gedaan. Zelfs het hedendaagse grijze model van Euromex dat gebruikt wordt in scholen bestaat helemaal uit metaal. Dus waar praten we over? Gr,
Rolf
Jan van Daalen said
Hallo Jan,
bestaat er een kans dat je de verrekijkers wilt verkopen?
Bonkema said
Voor wie interesse heeft. Ik heb een Dr C.E. Bleeker verrekijker te koop. Komt uit Polen!
M.v.O 490-N Medibu 6×30
In leren tas waarop staat “Prismakijker Bleeker 6×30″