DATE: Victorian, c.1880

A weird antique "stanhope" pendant dating from the late 19th Century. It's carved from a piece of hardwood into the shape of a cat, and contains a clever, tiny viewing lens that displays a series of photographs depicting popular tourist spots in Swanage, on the south coast of England.

Stanhopes (aka Stanho-scopes) were invented by René Dagron in 1857 as a way of viewing microphotographs without the need of an expensive microscope. In 1862, Dagron displayed the devices at the Exhibition in London, where he got an "Honourable Mention" and presented them to Queen Victoria.

MEASUREMENTS 

2.2 x 1.5cm

WEIGHT 

1.5g

MARKS 

No marks present

CONDITION 

Very good