Early Inventions and Technology Auction on Sep 26, 2026 by Donley Auctions in IL
Early Inventions and Technology Auction
Crookes Radiometer w/ Cathode Ray
Antique Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph Register
Nickel 1901 Kellogg 'Oilcan' Candlestick Telephone
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Union, IL, United States
Auction Details

Early Inventions and Technology Auction

Donley Auctions

Donley Auctions

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Scientific Precision, Historic Optical Marvels, and Rare Treasures Unite Step into an extraordinary showcase where centuries of groundbreaking innovation, artistic craftsmanship, and mechanical wonder come alive. The story of American progress from 1880 to 1950 is a narrative of radical expansion?a period when human perception, voice, and imagination widened exponentially. As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, these extraordinary objects serve as direct physical witnesses to that journey of ambition, capturing the true spirit of the American Dream. Featuring premier selections from the distinguished Dale Beeks, Allen Koenigsberg, and Howard Hazelcorn collections, this curated auction presents a captivating journey across the frontiers of early science, visual culture, and vintage entertainment. Physical expansion began on the frontier, where precision instruments mapped untamed landscapes. Central to this story is The Dale Beeks Collection, reflecting the life?s work of a nationally recognized authority, master restorer, and museum consultant who developed a passion for precision tools while surveying in Idaho. Highlights include 19th- and early 20th-century brass theodolites, transit levels, maritime sextants, and research microscopes from master makers like Bausch & Lomb, Cooke, Troughton & Simms, and Keuffel & Esser. Simultaneously, visual media and pre-cinema wonders tore down geographic walls: cased daguerreotypes, daguerrian tokens, ambrotypes, tintypes, magic lantern slides, zoetropes, and stereoview collections transported families to distant lands. Sound and industry bridged physical divides, as telegraph sounders tapped out Morse code, oak magneto telephones carried voices across continents, early light bulbs illuminated growing cities, and railroad lanterns guided engines linking communities. In laboratories, early electrotherapeutic cabinets and quack medicine devices pushed human vision and health past natural limits.
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W. F. Stanley Surveying Compass W/Case & Tripod: This is a remarkable 19th-century brass surveying instrument—specifically a dial/compass featuring a clinometer scale reading "Diff. of Hypo. &
Est.
$500
-
$10,000
$250
(1 bid)
Vintage French Brass Surveyor Compass Set: An impressive vintage French brass surveyor's compass set, housing a finely detailed brass compass dial marked "FRANCE" alongside black folding sighting vanes and a removable brass mounting spindle,
Est.
$100
-
$1,000
$50
Gustav Heyde Dresden Transit & Tripod: An exceptional late 19th- to early 20th-century scientific surveying instrument by renowned precision maker Gustav Heyde of Dresden, Germany, bearing serial/model number 815. Crafted from painted
Est.
$800
-
$10,000
$400
Antique K&E Theodolite & Tripod Set: This exceptional early to mid-20th-century surveying set features a vintage Municipal Triangulation Theodolite (Model No. 5086V, Serial No. 60603) crafted by the renowned Keuffel & Esser Co. in
Est.
$400
-
$10,000
$150
Bausch & Lomb No. 55 Engineer's Transit: This is an exceptional "Engineers" Model No. 55 transit/tachymeter produced by the Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. of Rochester, NY, dating to approximately 1915. This precision instrument features a
Est.
$500
-
$10,000
$250
Cooke, Troughton & Simms T65 & Tripod: This remarkable ensemble features a Model T65 "Tavistock" optical theodolite, precision-engineered by Cooke, Troughton & Simms of York, England, circa 1935, paired with a professional wooden
Est.
$400
-
$10,000
$200
Antique Saegmuller Brass Mining Transit: Crafted during the turn-of-the-century golden era of American precision instrument making, this early 1900s 5-inch mining transit is signed by Bausch, Lomb, Saegmuller Co. of Rochester, New York,
Est.
$500
-
$10,000
$250
Wooden Surveyors Tripod: An excellent piece of industrial maritime and field engineering, this early 20th-century surveyor's transit tripod features heavy-duty split hardwood legs, original metal shoe tips, and a robust
Est.
$50
-
$1,000
$25
Inter-War David White Navy 'NOL' Aero Theodolite: This rare WWII-era "Theodolite - Shore" (Aero-1928-USN) is a sophisticated piece of naval history manufactured by the David White Company of Milwaukee, WI. A standout feature of this unit is the
Est.
$500
-
$10,000
$250
Bausch & Lomb Model 603 Theodolite & Case: This is a remarkable professional-grade Model 603 Theodolite from the prestigious Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. of Rochester, NY, dating to approximately 1916. A true "Triple Alliance" instrument, it
Est.
$400
-
$10,000
$200
Vintage Dietzen Surveying Wooden Tripod: This mid-century surveyor's or engineer's tripod was manufactured by the Eugene Dietzgen Company in Chicago, Illinois. Crafted with solid hardwood legs and robust brass
Est.
$50
-
$1,000
$25
W. Mansfield Water Finder Kit, Case W/Tripod: A remarkably well-preserved Mansfield Patent Automatic Water Finder, manufactured by W. Mansfield & Co. in Birkenhead, England, dating to the early-to-mid 20th century. This highly specialized
Est.
$400
-
$10,000
$200
Antique Troughton & Simms London Theodolite: An exceptional circa 1900 brass scientific instrument, this antique transit theodolite was manufactured by the renowned makers Troughton & Simms in London, England. Provenance labels inside the lid
Est.
$500
-
$10,000
$250
(1 bid)
Bausch & Lomb Saegmuller Precise Level: This highly significant engineering instrument is a Bausch & Lomb Saegmuller "Precise Level," manufactured in Rochester, N.Y., and built to U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey specifications circa 1907. A
Est.
$500
-
$10,000
$250
Cooke Troughton & Simms Theodolite w/ Case: A remarkable example of British precision engineering, this 1935 Cooke, Troughton & Simms, Ltd. transit theodolite (Serial No. 35079) was manufactured in York, England. Featuring a 5-inch horizontal
Est.
$350
-
$10,000
$180
Antique Spears & Co. Surveyor's Compass: This exceptional mid-to-late 19th-century surveyor's dial compass reflects the fine instrument-making traditions of Dublin, Ireland. Explicitly marked "Spears & Co. 27 College Green Dublin," this
Est.
$400
-
$10,000
$200
Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. Survey Transit W/Case: This professional-grade vintage survey transit, crafted by the renowned Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. of Rochester, N.Y. (Serial No. 10205), is a testament to early 20th-century American precision
Est.
$500
-
$10,000
$250
Wooden Surveyor Transit Tripod: An exceptional early 20th-century wooden transit tripod crafted with open-slotted skeleton legs and a threaded brass mounting head with cast wing-nut hardware. Designed for field survey work or
Est.
$50
-
$1,000
$25
Vintage Dietzgen Wooden Surveyor Tripod: This is a classic piece of professional field equipment from Eugene Dietzgen Co., a titan in the engineering and drafting world. Crafted with robust oak legs and industrial-grade steel hardware, this
Est.
$120
-
$10,000
$60
Antique C.L. Berger & Sons Survey Tripod: This is a remarkably well-preserved example of American precision engineering: an antique surveying tripod manufactured by the esteemed C.L. Berger & Sons of Boston, Massachusetts. Featuring the
Est.
$160
-
$10,000
$80
Wooden Surveyors Tripod: Crafted in the early 20th century, this classic hardwood surveyor's tripod features robust brass hardware fittings, heavy-duty metal ground spikes, and a circular wooden top mounting plate. Bearing
Est.
$50
-
$1,000
$25
Wood Surveying Transit Tripod: Crafted for rugged field utility in early surveying and engineering applications, this antique wooden tripod features split-leg construction with patinated cast metal fittings and a brass threaded
Est.
$50
-
$1,000
$25
Brass & Wood Surveyor Tripod: An impressive early 20th-century field surveying tripod crafted from solid hardwood with brass fitting hardware, wing nut tensioners, and iron-shod metal tips. Designed with classic split-leg
Est.
$50
-
$1,000
$25