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Early 19th. century Painted Water Magnifier
An outstanding example of a late 18th/early 19th. century water magnifier. This one has the best original, Blue (Teal) painted surface. Looks to be Black in the photos but it is Blue. It is completely original and comes from an outstanding collector of American antiques. I had the privilege of purchasing this about 5 or 6 years ago. Water magnifiers were used as a source of increasing the print size on documents, ledgers and books early on in the 18th. and 19th. centuries. This particular one is just a wonderful example. It is complete and original. The panels are cracked, I wouldn’t touch them or change them out because of the age of this magnifier, so things are better left alone. At first glance I thought the panels were plastic. I had it checked out and was told they are glass, just very old thin glass. The magnifier measures 11 inches long and each side measures 3 1/4 inches. Some missing glazing on all three sides. Hole on the side where you fill the magnifier with water. Price: $1375.00 + shipping
