This photo was obviously taken during WWI, on the Eastern Front, probably in 1915 in Galicia, where the Russian advance into Prussia was stemmed by Austro-Hungarian forces.
Looks more like a binocular periscope. Hyposcopes of the period typically only had one optic and often had no case tubes, simply two exposed mirrors or prisms with a frame to connect them.
![A masked Russian officer at his trench-post' looking at the enemy trenches with a hyposcope. ( location & date unknown). [ 1198 X 2048 pixels ]](https://i.redd.it/98meynxhi6l51.jpg)
Dagius
[Edit: " ( location & date unknown)"]
This photo was obviously taken during WWI, on the Eastern Front, probably in 1915 in Galicia, where the Russian advance into Prussia was stemmed by Austro-Hungarian forces.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorlice%E2%80%93Tarn%C3%B3w_Offensive
On 13 Nov 1915 it appeared in the Trove, a Sydney Australia newspaper
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1579193
Rhyging-007
I fucking hate getty, one of the worst IP trolls.
O2starved
Does anybody know the purpose of the white mask?
gunnergoz
Looks more like a binocular periscope. Hyposcopes of the period typically only had one optic and often had no case tubes, simply two exposed mirrors or prisms with a frame to connect them.