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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: lynda on May 12, 2010, 01:15:50 PM

Title: Thuroscope
Post by: lynda on May 12, 2010, 01:15:50 PM

I have been carting around a Bayer Thuroscope for years and no one has ever come up with what it is.  It looks like it fits in a corner. It is black decorated metal with mirrored side and it has Bayer Thurocope printed on it.

Title: Re: Thuroscope
Post by: talesofthesevenseas on May 12, 2010, 01:23:11 PM

I found it! It's a snooping device!

http://books.google.com/books?id=g2soAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA314&lpg=PA314&dq=bayer+thuroscope&source=bl&ots=8TnBtE0vYQ&sig=iaTFUdZ6FvYhoPVyKhl9K3iok0Y&hl=en&ei=4f_qS7OuOoewswOm4pzvDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=bayer%20thuroscope&f=false (http://books.google.com/books?id=g2soAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA314&lpg=PA314&dq=bayer+thuroscope&source=bl&ots=8TnBtE0vYQ&sig=iaTFUdZ6FvYhoPVyKhl9K3iok0Y&hl=en&ei=4f_qS7OuOoewswOm4pzvDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=bayer%20thuroscope&f=false)

Title: Re: Thuroscope
Post by: KC on May 12, 2010, 09:47:03 PM

Actually, these were used to see who was at the door or coming up the walk without looking out the window and being seen by the individual coming up.  These were touted as a necessity for the stay-at-home women!

AKA window mirrors!

Title: Re: Thuroscope
Post by: talesofthesevenseas on May 12, 2010, 09:54:56 PM

I figured it was so that they could spy on the neighbors!

Title: Re: Thuroscope
Post by: KC on May 12, 2010, 10:10:14 PM

I bet it used for that much more than what it was intended for! LOL

Title: Re: Thuroscope
Post by: dontbe on May 13, 2010, 10:59:26 AM

Quote from: talesofthesevenseas on May 12, 2010, 01:23:11 PM

I found it! It's a snooping device!

thuroscope brochure  (http://books.google.com/books?id=g2soAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA314&lpg=PA314&dq=bayer+thuroscope&source=bl&ots=8TnBtE0vYQ&sig=iaTFUdZ6FvYhoPVyKhl9K3iok0Y&hl=en&ei=4f_qS7OuOoewswOm4pzvDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=bayer%20thuroscope&f=false)

Excellent Job Tales!!

Title: Re: Thuroscope
Post by: KC on May 13, 2010, 01:42:06 PM

Another interesting tidbit....in the 18th and early 19th Century when women carried sewing around all of the time (no idle hands) many had hidden mirrors in the tops...so women could open and see who was coming up behind them!!!!!  The expensive and elegant ones were made in France!

Title: Re: Thuroscope
Post by: regularjoe2 on May 13, 2010, 10:39:49 PM

Adding more fodder to the bin , I wonder if they were making a small ref to Thuro (the Danish island aka "Thuras' Island") when they made this item ....(old Danish history of raiders , rape & big-time Danish kings & other such tales of woe) .


(or am I being too obscure for my own good)