Cased Dollond field glasses or binoculars

Historical Significance: Dollond were a famed firm of London opticians and scientific instrument makers founded in 1750. It was held by several generations of the Dollond family until 1871. In 1907 it became a listed company Dollond & Co. In 1927 it was acquired by James Aitchison to become Dollond & Aitchison after which it concentrated increasingly on prescription spectacles. In 2009 Boots Opticians merged with Dollond & Aitchison.The owner's inscription 'D.T.HOSKYN R.N.' refers to Dr Donald T Hoskyn m.b. of the Royal Navy. Navy Lists and the British Medical Journal indicate that he was serving on HMS Curacao visiting New Zealand in 1893 and Apia, Samoa in 1894. In January 1903 he was appointed Staff Surgeon to HMS President for a 3 month course of hospital study. In June 1903 he became Fleet Surgeon to HMS Mersey. In 1912 he was the Deputy Surgeon-General of the Royal Hospital, Hong Kong. The National Library of New Zealand record Ref MNZ-2834-1/4-F shows an engraving from a drawing by Donald T Hoskyn published in 'The Graphic' (London) January 27 1894, headed 'New Zealand introduces women's suffrage'. The illustration shows women gathering at the Devonport (NZ) Borough Council Chambers for the general elections 28 November 1893. In England, women did not become eligible to be elected to Parliament until 1918, and were only able to vote on the same terms as men in 1928.