Ivory and Brass Compound Microscope (#87)

Age: c1770
Made by: unknown
Made in: Possibly Holland

This instrument is a two-lens compound microscope made of brass with the upper body made of ivory. It is supported by a pillar that screws into a boss set into the top of a black fish-skin covered storage case. The round, brass pillar encloses a separate shaft supporting the cantilevered microscope support arm. The microscope body and objectives screw onto the top and bottom of this arm. The arm is held in place via a spring clip, and translates to center the instrument over the sample stage. Focus is by rack & pinion, which moves the central support shaft and microscope body up or down relative to the fixed stage. The illuminating mirror is inserted by a pin into a hole at the base of the pillar. Accessories are five objective lenses, three with Lieberkuhns, five ivory slides, and a stage forceps. All components, except the microscope body, may be stored inside the velvet-lined case. It is not possible to image through this instrument. The objective mount is frozen and will not (presently) accommodate lenses. Of interest is the name of a presumed owner "Marlow" engraved in three places on the case.

This instrument is very much like the Jan Paauw microscope (#100) in the Golub collection. Both instruments have the microscope body and objectives separately mounted on either sides of a support arm, both lack a field lens, and the general shape of the microscope body is the same.

Height is approximately 26cm. The box is 15cm (w) x 4.5 (h) x 10 (d).

Instrument featured 2/2007

Tue, Sep 30, 2008