Terrestrial telescope by Breton Frère à Paris

Terrestrial telescope on tripod, single draw, in brass and bronze
Signed “Breton Frères, Paris”
Paris, second half of the 19th century

Height: 38.5 cm??Maximum length: 108 cm


The firm Breton Frères was a Parisian maker of optical and scientific instruments, active primarily from the 1830s through the late 19th century. Founded in 1836 at 4 rue Servandoni by Louis and André Breton, the company later operated from 52 rue des Écoles and 23 rue Dauphine.

Breton Frères produced a wide range of instruments for scientific, educational, and occasionally military or naval use. Their documented output includes:
Prism and grating spectroscopes, typically constructed in brass with collimation elements;
Educational optical benches, equipped with mirrors, lenses, and diaphragms, often mounted on mahogany bases;
Terrestrial telescopes and astronomical instruments, the latter being rarer in surviving collections.

Surviving examples of instruments signed “Breton Frères, Paris”show careful workmanship, characteristic of Parisian production of the period and in line with contemporary firms such as Secrétan, Bardou, and Brunner.

The firm exhibited at several industrial exhibitions, including the Great Exhibition in London (1851), attesting to a degree of international recognition. Breton Frères instruments are now found in several public collections, including the Science Museum in London.

Their work is noted for its solid construction and clear focus on education and scientific demonstration, rather than high-precision astronomical instrumentation. As such, Breton Frères represents a typical example of the second generation of 19th-century Parisian optical craftsmen, contributing to the diffusion of scientific knowledge through instrument making.