Bushnell 7x35 "Rose Bowl Participant"

Mfr: J-B138 (Toyo Jitsugyo or Oriental Trading Company, Ltd.), J-E4

Date: circa 1960

AFOV: ~53.7 degrees

TFOV: 7 degrees 40'

Eye Relief: ~16mm

Prisms: high index

Serial Number: Y361883

This is another interesting binocular from Bushnell.   First, it was obviously made for some kind of Rose Bowl promotion.  For those of you who don't know, the Rose Bowl is a sports stadium in Pasadena, California that hosts an annual college football game in conjunction with the Tournament of Roses Parade.  This was a natural promotion for Bushnell as they were also located in Pasadena.  The right prism cover is marked "Rose Bowl Participant" as well as a metal badge on top of the case.  Also, the covering material on the body appears to show signs of once being reddish.

The second interesting feature is the unusual "U.S.O.L" logo in a triangle located on the hinge end.  This logo is very similar to the much more common BOL logo and may be a precursor.  Note that the Bushnell BOL Featherlight II 6x35 on this web site has the same J- marks as this binocular.  As stated elsewhere, it is believed that BOL was a trading company that assembled binoculars using parts from various sources for Bushnell.  The user booklet that came with this binocular has a 1958 date but I believe the binocular dates from at least a year later (J- codes were not supposed to be introduced until late 1959).

This binocular has high quality construction, such as the extensive baffling also found in Bushnell Custom models.  There are almost no image leaks visible.  The optics are fairly good but not quite up to the level of the Custom 7x35.  Unfortunately, the eyepieces are deeply recessed in the fixed plastic eyecups.