What is a Bush kaleidoscope?
A Bush kaleidoscope is a scope manufactured by Charles Bush in the 1870’s. These scopes are parlor scopes, covered in textured cardboard, a brass end object cell with ship’s spokes, and a 2-mirror system. The scopes were produced having several different bases including a pedestal base, a 4-legged based, and a rarer 3-legged base. The object cell includes many interesting pieces, including liquid filled ampules, drawn glass rods, and sometimes a swan. The brass object cell is stamped with the location and date of Bush’s patent, either Providence, Ri or Claremont, NH. More information can be found here.
