Roof Prism

Roof Prism

<< >>
Usage conditions apply
Downloads
Description
After the United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, American leaders realized that the best optical instruments came from German shops. Thus, to obtain the spy glasses, binoculars, range finders, and other optical instruments needed by its fighting forces, they commandeered the resources of private optical and instrument shops. And they authorized the establishment of a new optical shop at the Washington Navy Yard. That facility, later termed the Naval Weapons Plant Optical Shop, gave this nine-sided roof prism to the Smithsonian in 1961.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
Prism, Rangefinder
Physical Description
glass (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 3 1/2 in x 1 5/32 in x 1 7/8 in; 8.89 cm x 2.921 cm x 4.7625 cm
overall: 1 1/8 in x 3 11/16 in x 1 15/16 in; 2.8575 cm x 9.36625 cm x 4.92125 cm
ID Number
PH.319362
catalog number
319362
accession number
237036
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.   

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.

Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.