Periscopes Collection

Periscopes in Trenches
With shells bursting overhead and trench mortar ready, Seaforth Highlanders watch through a periscope for the Germans

Her Majestys Procession march down Northumberland Avenue led by Colonel B. J. O. Burrows, O.B.E. T.D. and Five Companies of the Foot Guards as they escort the Queens coach to Westminster Abbey for

Look-out in 1917
A soldier in a look-out post in a trench using a camouflaged periscope to keep watch on the British Front in France during World War I in 1917

The Queen in the Gold State Coach passing Hyde Park Corner on her return from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace following her coronation. 2nd June 1953

Crowds lining the route of the coronation procession, 2nd June 1953. Some members of the public climb up lamp post to catch a glimpse of the royal coach carrying Queen Elizabeth II to her Coronation

Golf Fan And Periscopes Ryder Cup 02, The Belfry Ryder Cup The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England 28 September 2002 Date: 28 September 2002

Spectators Periscopes Ryder Cup Valderrama, Spain, 28 September 1997 Date: 28 September 1997

WWI German sentry observing through a periscope, Hill 60, near Ypres, 1916 (b / w photo)
778977 WWI German sentry observing through a periscope, Hill 60, near Ypres, 1916 (b/w photo) by German Photographer (20th Century); Private Collection; Peter Newark Military Pictures; German

Coronation procession, 1937, Piccadilly Circus, London (b / w photo)
5998410 Coronation procession, 1937, Piccadilly Circus, London (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Coronation procession, 1937, Piccadilly Circus)

The Subterfuge of the Submarine (litho)
1601058 The Subterfuge of the Submarine (litho) by Wright, Henry Charles Seppings (1850-1937); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Subterfuge of the Submarine)

U-Boats Out!, German WWI poster, 1914-18 (colour litho)
700906 U-Boats Out!, German WWI poster, 1914-18 (colour litho) by Erdt, Hans Rudi (1883-1925); Private Collection; Peter Newark Military Pictures; German, out of copyright

Members of the Household cavalry escort a carriage down Northumberland Avenue. The royal passengers are on their way to witness the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey

The head of Her Majesty Procession comprised of Five Companies of the Foot Guards, Band and Corps of Drums of the Welsh and Irish Guards, Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillery and Four Troopers

The Carriage Procession of Princes and Princesses of the Blood Royal, seen here making their way down Northumberland Avenue to Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II 2nd June 1953

Band of the Royal Navy make their way through Trafalgar Square before the start of the Coronation Procession. 2nd June 1953

Members of the Household cavalry escort a carriage down Northumberland Avenue. The royal passengers are on their way to witness the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey

The Queen in the Gold State Coach passing Canada House on Trafalgar Square as she returns from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace following her coronation. 2nd June 1953

Crowds in Trafalgar Square watch the military procession march past as they make their way to Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II 2nd June 1953

The Queen in the Gold State Coach crossing Trafalgar Square on her return from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace following her coronation. 2nd June 1953

WW1 - Russian Front - Officer using a trench periscope Date: circa 1916

The trench periscope, WW1
Photographs demonstrating the efficacy of the hyposcope (the landsmans periscope) using one here constructed by Mr C. Baker - an optician of High Holborn

Periscopomania by William Heath Robinson
The Special Constable (who has strayed into Highgate Ponds): Good Heavens! Theres a periscope! In fact its his own foot. A humorous comment on the growing fear of German submarines during the First

A Australian trench at the Dardanelles
The periscope in use in an Australian trench at the Dardanelles. Date: 1915

Advert for Watsons Giraffe trench periscope 1915
To save life in the trenches Watsons Giraffe. By its means the soldier can see what is happening above and beyond the trenches without exposing his head. Suppiled for the British Army. Date: 1915

The amphibious periscope 1915
Different ways of using a periscope in The First War World. British soldier looking through periscope in the trenches, an officer using a periscope on board a german submarine. Date: 1915

Royal Wedding 1947 - Using periscopes
A vast crowd use periscopes as their only means of seeing the procession during the royal wedding of 1947 between Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) and Prince Philip

Crowds at the Royal Wedding 1947
Mounted police pictured in the middle of vast crowds of spectators, many of them holding periscopes in order to be able to see something

Trying to view the royal wedding, 1947
Enterprising spectators using makeshift periscopes of mirrors on sticks in an attempt to actually see something along the processional route at the royal wedding between Princess Elizabeth

Coronation. Pikemen arrive with drummers
A few members of the Pikemen and Liverymen of the City of London, preceded by two drummers, approach the Abbey west door. A sea of periscopes are raised in the foregrouond. 1953

Periscope 1915
Lieutenant Kerr MC, who was later killed, using a periscope in a trench on Rue de Bois on the Western Front in France during World War I in February 1915

French soldier in a trench 1915
French soldier in a listening post in the French line on Vimy Ridge using a periscope on the French front during World War I in December 1915. This post was retaken by the Germans in 1916

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"Peering into History: The Fascinating World of Periscopes" Step back in time to the trenches of WW1, where periscopes played a vital role as look-outs. From the Russian Front to Hill 60 near Ypres, officers relied on trench periscopes to observe their surroundings and strategize. In moments of grandeur, such as Her Majesty's Procession down Northumberland Avenue or the Queen passing Hyde Park Corner in her Gold State Coach during her coronation, periscopes allowed crowds lining the route to catch a glimpse of royalty from afar. Not limited to royal events, even golf fans utilized these ingenious devices at tournaments. Spectators eagerly raised their periscopes above heads for an unobstructed view of their favorite players swinging away on the green. The significance extended beyond entertainment; they served as instruments for surveillance during times of war. German sentries diligently observed through these optical wonders on Hill 60 in 1916, while lithographs depicted the subterfuge employed by submarines using similar mechanisms below sea level. Whether it was capturing historical moments like the Coronation procession in Piccadilly Circus or aiding soldiers in treacherous warfare conditions, they have left an indelible mark throughout history. These innovative inventions continue to remind us that sometimes all we need is a different perspective – one that can be found through a simple device called a periscope.