Items

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  Oberhaeuser Drum Microscope

  The drum-style compound microscope is crafted from brass and stands on a lead-weighted circular base. The designer of the instrument, Georg Johann Oberhaeuser (1798-1868) established a microscope-making business in Paris in the 1830s. The instrument is signed "G. Oberhaeuser, Place Dauphine, Paris" on the body tube. Due to the drum-style design, the substage mirror sits in a cylinder compartment with a square cut-out, by which the light can reach the mirror. On either side of the compartment are small thumbscrews that allow the position of the mirror to be adjusted. Above the mirror is a wheel of apertures mounted to the stage that can be rotated to control the amount of light that reaches the specimen. The square stage has two stage clips to hold slides in place. The column pillar connects the stage to the body tube. Another aspect of this design is that the microscope cannot be angled and so must stand completely straight when being used. Coarse focusing is, unusually, by a rack and pinion mechanism. The style usually included a sliding mechanism for focusing, and so this instrument may have been a custom order. The two threaded holes in the base suggest that the microscope was mounted to a desk for industrial or scientific use.
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  "Improved" Huxley-Type Dissecting Microscope

  The brass Huxley-type dissecting microscope can function both as a simple or compound microscope by using one or multiple objective lenses. The instrument stands on a tripod base, with two of the curved legs angled and the rear leg standing vertical. The circular stage is made from glass and is painted black. The substage mirror is connected to the rear leg and is set in a gimbal. The arm is connected to a column which extends from the rear leg via a rack and pinion mechanism. The thumbscrew connects to the rear leg controls the coarse focusing by moving the arm closer or further from the stage. The objective lens sits in a circular cut out of the arm, directly above the stage. The microscope has a wooden chest-style case with a lower interior drawer, which holds the accessories. The case is secured by a lock and push mechanism.
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  Dollond Cuff-Type Microscope

  The cuff-style compound microscope is made from brass and is secured to a square mahogany base. The single-sided plano-concave mirror is mounted on a gimbal and connected to a brass mounting on the base which can rotate. The Bonnani stage is signed "Dollond London" and has a small removable bullseye condenser attachment. Beneath the stage are two stage clips which hold the specimen in place. The instrument comes with a removable spring-loaded attachment which slots into the circular cut out and acts as a method to hold a specimen in place. The stage is supported by a rectangular pillar, which is parallel to another movable pillar for coarse focusing. The movable pillar slides up and down, adjusting the body tube relative to the stage. The focusing is controlled by a Hevelius screw, with the top mount fixing the body tube in position, and the screw thread adjusts the position of the body tube along the pillar. The pillar has numbered markings which represent the position of the body tube from 1 to 6. The body tube sits in the arm attachment at the top of the pillar. The eye piece has a sliding brass protector. The instrument is housed in a pyramid-shaped mahogany case with an interior draw in the base. The case has a brass carrying handle and is secured by a lock, however, the key is not present with the instrument.
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  Culpeper-style Compound Microscope

  The Culpeper-style microscope is made from brass and is attached to a mahogany base that contains a drawer. The design is based on instruments produced by Edmund Culpeper (1670-1737). The instrument stands on a decorative tripod stand which is connected to the fixed circular stage. Beneath the stage are two long stage clips which hold the specimens in place. The stage also has a spring-loaded attachment which can also be used to hold specimens in place for observation. The stage also comes with small forceps which connect to the stage by a pin. The sub-stage plano-concave mirror is attached to the base and is set in a gimbal which allows it to be rotated. Coarse focusing is achieved by rack work controlled by a thumbscrew on the body-tube. The body-tube stands directly above the stage which is held up by three curved pillars. The instrument is kept in its original pyramidal shaped mahogany case with a brass carrying hook situated at its top. The case is secured by a lock which is still functional and the key is kept with the accessories.
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  German Cuff-Type Microscope

  The cuff-style compound microscope stands on a large oak base with a drawer. The brass microscope is connected to the base by 4 splayed short legs, one of which is connected to the sub-stage plano-concave mirror set in a gimbal. The instrument has a rectangular pillar which is connected to the screw adjustment controlled by the thumbscrew at the top of the pillar. The decorative sculptural triform stage has a circular cut out and attachment which is spring loaded to hold the slides. The instrument comes with a small bulls-eye condenser and specimen holder which connect to the stage via a pin. The body-tube is held by the arm which allows the body-tube to be adjusted by sliding it closer or further from the stage. The instrument can also be used as a simple microscope by detaching the nosepiece attachment and using it to examine specimens. An addition to the nosepiece of the body-tube allows the instrument to be used as a compound or simple microscope by removing the attachment or sliding the slide above the objective lens. The addition is spring-loaded which secures the slide in place. The eye piece has a protective cover which slides out of place. The base has one draw which holds the microscopes accessories and slides.
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  Carpenter & Westley Field Microscope

  The compound microscope is made from brass and can be dissembled to fit into its original mahogany case. The pillars rack work is signed "CARPENTER & WESTLEY, 24 Regent St, London." The pillar screws into the weighted circular base. The lower section of the pillar has an inclination joint which allows the microscope to be angled. The body-tube is secured to the objective by a screw function, after which it can then be attached to the cantilevered arm. The coarse focusing is achieved by rack and pinion mechanism which moves the stage vertically. The stage is spring-loaded which allows the specimen to be secured beneath the fixed clip attachments and the lower section. The plano-concave substage mirror is slotted into the pillar via a pin and is set in a gimbal. The instrument has a small stage bullseye condenser which is attached to the stage via a pin. The mahogany case has fitted compartments that hold the dissembled parts of the instrument. The base is fitted beneath the compartment draw and is secured by a hook. The lid's interior is lined with faded purple velvet which helps protect the instrument. The case is secured by a lock and key; however, the key is not present with the instrument.
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  Round Base Compound Microscope

  The compound microscope is made from lacquered brass and stands on a weighted circular base. The cylinder pillar screws into base and is connected to the stage and body-tube. The microscope can be disassembled in order to fit into the original case. The instrument has a square fixed with stage clip attachments to hold the specimen in place. The stage is spring-loaded and the lower section is painted black. The sub-stage mirror is connected to the lower section of the pillar and is set in a gimbal which allows it to be revolved. The body-tube screws into an arm extension attached to the top of the pillar. Coarse focusing functions by rack work controlled by a thumbscrew at the side of the pillar. The microscope focuses by moving the body-tube closer or further from the stage. The case has wooden compartments to hold the dissembled parts of the instrument and the lid is lined with red velvet. The case is secured by a lock and key which is not present with the microscope.
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  Smith, Beck & Beck Student Microscope

  The early Wenham binocular compound microscope was sold to a Mr. W. Bean on the 31st May 1856 according to the records. The instrument is signed "Smith, Beck & Beck, 31 Cornhill, London 1088." on the body-tube. The microscope stands on a reversed Y-shaped base connected to the lower pillar which ends in brass trunnions which allows for inclination. The instrument includes a plano-concave mirror in a gimbal on an articulated arm connected to a sliding collar. The mechanical stage has an attachment which allows the specimen to be held in place by balancing it on a shelf, and the upper level of the stage can also be rotated to adjust. The stage can be adjusted along the X and Y axis via rack work controlled by the two thumbscrews located at the side of the stage. Beneath the stage is an iris diaphragm with 3 apertures that can be rotated. Coarse focusing is achieved by rack and pinion mechanism controlled by the two large thumbscrews at either side of the body-tubes. Fine focusing is controlled by the labelled thumbscrew located behind the stage. At the top of the binocular body-tube is the inter-ocular adjustment via rack work.
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  John Browning Compound Microscope

  The binocular microscope is marked "John Browning London. 280" on the stage. The compound microscope is made from brass and stands on a splayed Y-shaped foot with a decorative varnish. The lower limb ends in an inclination joint which allows for angling for observation. The microscope also consists of a sub-stage plano-concave mirror which sits in a gimbal and an arm extension which allows for adjustment. The square stage also has a decorative pattern which matches the foot. The stage has an attachment to hold the slides in place as well as two removable stage clips to hold slides in place. The slide can be adjusted via the X and Y axis by the two thumbscrews on the side of the stage. The instrument also has a sub-stage iris diaphragm with three apertures which can be adjusted by swiveling the disc. Coarse focusing is achieved by a rack and pinion mechanism controlled by a large thumbscrew parallel to the stage. Fine focusing is controlled by the by a smaller thumbscrew at the end of the body-tube.
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  James Brown Monocular Microscope

  The brass monocular microscope has a blackened finish and stands on a claw-foot base. The foot ends in an inclination joint which allows the microscope to be angled. The coarse focus functions by a sliding mechanism with a screwed clamp to control tension on main tube. The fine focus functions by adjusting the knurled thumbscrew located at the top of the pillar. The fixed circular stage is made from glass and has an iris diaphragm with 4 apertures. The diaphragm is part of the stage, rather than the usual design of being located underneath. The sub-stage mirror is concave-convex and is set in a gimbal which allows it to be angled to catch the light. The fitted mahogany case has its original bail and lock, however, there is no key with the instrument. The interior of the case has compartments to hold the accessories and dissembled microscope.
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  Lennie Edinburgh Microscope

  The brass compound microscope stands on a claw-foot base which is attached to the dual side limbs. The limbs end in an inclination joint which allows it to be angled for observation. The rotatable circular stage has two movable stage clips that can be moved vertically along the stage. The stage also has room for attachments, however, there are none with this instrument. Beneath the stage is an iris diaphragm which can be adjusted by rotating. The sub-stage mirror sits in a gimbal and can be rotated to catch the light. Coarse focusing is achieved by a rack and pinion mechanism which is controlled by the dual thumbscrew on either side of the pillar. Fine focusing is controlled by a small thumbscrew at the bottom of the body-tube. The microscope is signed "Lennie Edinburgh" on the base. The instrument comes with a stand-alone bulls-eye condenser which can be disassembled to fit into the case. The mahogany case is fitted and contains compartments to hold the dissembled microscope and its accessories. It has a interior draw that has a section to hold slides. The case has a brass carry handle and is secured by a lock and key, however, the key is not present with the instrument.
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  Andrew Ross Microscope

  The brass microscope stands on a splayed Y-shape base and engraved with "Andw. Ross, London, No.190." This instrument represents the classic design created by Ross - the bar-limb and splayed Y-shape base - which was copied by many other manufacturers. The monocular instrument's limb is triangular in the cross section. The dual side pillars end in trunnion joints that allow for inclination. The square mechanical stage has an uppermost section which rotates clockwise and counter-clockwise. The stage can be adjusted along the X and Y axis with a rack and pinion mechanism. The stage also has a bullseye condenser and stage forceps attachments which are attached by a pin. The stage has a substage iris diaphragm which can be rotated. The receiver for the threaded objective is spring loaded, which in effect acts as a "safety-stage." Coarse focusing is achieved by a rack and pinion mechanism which is controlled by thumbscrew located at the side of the stage. Fine focusing works by a lever mechanism mounted within the bar proper and adjusted by a knurled thumbscrew mounted on the bar. The instrument has a substage plano-concave substage which is mounted in a gimbal. The microscope also comes with a stand-alone bullseye condenser with a circular stand. The mahogany glass-fronted case contains three internal accessory drawers.
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  Smith & Beck "Milk Box" Educational Microscope

  This microscope is a rare example as it has a cast iron base which appears to have been purpose-built rather than retrofitted. The actual instrument has been stripped of its gunmetal and black lacquers. The microscope is signed with a stamped with "Smith & Beck, London" on the side pillar. The cast iron base is attached to the dual side pillars which end in trunnions that allow for inclination. The square stage has a substage iris diaphragm which can be removed and a substage plano-concave mirror set in a gimbal. Coarse focusing is achieved by sliding the body-tube through the cylinder attachment connected to the main pillar. The fine focusing is controlled by knurled knob at the base of the pillar and the cast iron base is attached to a mahogany accessories tray that holds the objective and objective lens. The mahogany case is secured by a lock and key, which is broken. The base slides into the case horizontally. The microscope design was low end and became eclipsed by the binocular version —  "Popular Microscope" —  by 1865. The instrument was described by Richard Beck in his book, A Treatise, in 1865 and reviewed by Gerald Turner in his book, The Great Age of the Microscope (1989).
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  Aloe Herstein Microscope

  The compound microscope is made from brass and japanned cast iron. The tripod base is painted black and connected to the substage mirror via a pillar. The mirror is attached via a gimbal joint that allows it to rotate to catch the light for observation. The coarse focus functions by a rack and pinion mechanism which is controlled by thumbscrews on either side of the limb. Fine focusing is controlled by a small thumb screw at the back of the body tube. The square fixed stage has a slide manipulator which holds the specimen in place.
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  Society of Arts-Style Microscope

  The compound microscope is made from brass. The monocular microscope stands on a claw foot base which is mounted onto a mahogany base. The base slides into the mahogany case. The curved limb ends in an inclination joint. The square stage is fixed, and has a small shelf attachment which holds the specimen in place. Beneath the stage is an iris diaphragm with 4 apertures that can be rotated. The stage attachment can be moved up and down in order to observe the specimen. The substage mirror is set in a gimbal and connected to the pillar via an arm. Coarse focusing is achieved by a rack and pinion mechanism which moves the body tube closer or further from the stage. The case is fitted, and has a built in drawer for specimen slides. The body tube can be unscrewed to fit into the case and has a compartment which it stands in. The case lock is working but the key is missing.
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  Dollond Solar Microscope

  This early Cuff-style solar microscope was designed by Peter Dollond. The square plate can be fixed to a window shutter with two screws. The instrument has a large, rectangular mirror which can be controlled by two wing nuts; one connected to a pinion for angle variation and the other to control the rotation. The body-tube attached to the brass plate and can be screwed in to secure it. A condensing lens is also attached to the body-tube and on the other side is a spring-barrel tube which holds the final condenser — which comes in the form of dovetail slides — the specimen and the projection lens. The instrument comes with six projection lens which are engraved 1 to 6. The focusing is by rack work controlled by the small thumbscrew located at the side of the spring-barrel. The instrument comes with a fitted mahogany case which holds all the components in fitted compartments. The case is secured by two brass swing hooks and also has a lock with a functional key.
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  "Society of the Arts" Microscope

  The brass microscope stands on a claw-foot base. The dual curved limb terminates in an inclination joint which allows the instrument to be angled for observation. The square fixed stage has a shelf attachment which allows the slide to be secured for observation. This attachment can be moved horizontally and there is an additional specimen holder attachment which is attached by a pin. Beneath the stage is a iris diaphragm disk with 3 apertures which can be rotated. The sub-stage mirror is attached to the bottom of an cylinder arm and sits in a gimbal. The body-tube is screwed into an arm attachment, and the objective lens can be screwed into the body-tube. The compound microscope also comes with a bulls-eye condenser with its own stand. The fitted, mahogany case has a brass carry handle and would be secured by a lock, however, it is no longer attached to the case.
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  Objective Magnifier

  The small magnifier is made from brass and glass. The magnifier consists of two magnifying lenses in a circular casing. The instrument could also be a microscope lens; however, the instrument consists of an ocular and objective lens and can work as a magnifier by itself.
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  Magnifying Glass

  The circular magnifying glass consists of two magnifying lenses. The instrument is made from brass and painted brass. The small magnifying glass can be used as a desktop magnifier and would have been used to inspect photographs or small text. The exterior of the magnifier is painted brown to imitate the appearance of wood.
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  Pocket Microscope

  The simple brass microscope stands on a circular base. The base also acts as the stage and has a circular cut out which allows a specimen to be observed. The pocket microscope would have been used in the field due to its small size. The circular lens holder stands over the base/stage and there are two small columns that connect them.
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  Cary Monocular Microscope

  The compound microscope is made from brass and stands on a mahogany platform which it can be removed from. The microscope follows the "Society of Arts" design. The platform also has a hole to place the detached body-tube in so it can be placed into the case. The instrument stands on a claw foot base which has "Cary 181 Strand London" etched into the brass surface. The pillar ends in an inclination joint which allows the microscope to be angled. The square stage is fixed and has holes for attachments; however, none are present with the microscope. The sub-stage mirror is one-sided and attached to an arm connected to the stage and sits in a gimbal. The body-tube screws into an arm attachment above the stage. Coarse focusing functions via rack and pinion in which the triangular column extends and moves the body-tube. Fine focus is controlled by the small thumbscrew located at the back of the body-tube. The small fitted case has compartments in the back of the interior which holds the ocular lens and objective. The microscope needs to be dismantled to fit with the body-tube standing in its own circular compartment. The mahogany case has a brass carry handle and is missing its lock and key.
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  R & J Beck Microscope

  The compound microscope is made from brass and japanned brass. The monocular microscope stands on a horseshoe base which is weighted for balance when the instrument is angled. The pillar is connected to the base, and ends in an inclination joint. Above the joint is the square fixed stage which has a circular cut out for observation. The substage mirror is connected via a gimbal which allows it to be rotated to catch the light. The microscope also has a substage iris diaphragm. The draw tube is japanned black, and coarse focusing is achieved by sliding the body tube through the draw tube. The body tube is made from brass. The microscope also has fine focusing which is controlled by a thumbscrew at the top of the limb.
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  James Brown Microscope

  The brass compound microscope is signed on the body-tube "James Brown, 76 St Vincent St, Glasgow." The instrument was known as an "English Medical Microscope" and was made and retailed by J. Parkes & Son, Birmingham in 1882. Parkes supplied these microscopes to various medical schools and hospitals throughout Britain. The microscope is professionally polished and lacquered. The instrument stands on a horse-shoe weighted stand which is made of brass. The pillar ends in an inclination joint which allows the microscope to be angled. The sub-stage mirror is double-sided and sits in a gimbal. The square fixed stage has two stage clips which hold the specimens in place. Beneath the stage is a sub-stage diaphragm, which be be unscrewed and removed. Focusing functions by smooth sliding tube with extension and fine focus is operated by the thumbscrew at the back of the body tube. The chest-style case has compartments to hold the accessories and inside the lid is a chart of magnifying force. The case is secured by two brass swinging hooks and a lock.
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  Society of Arts-Style Microscope

  The compound microscope follows the "Society of Arts" design with pre-society thread. This dates it to the late 1850s or early 1860s. In 1854, the Society of Arts gave a prize for the design of a low cost microscope that would come with two eyepieces and two objectives, a bullseye condenser, stage forceps, and a live box. The microscope stands on a claw-foot base which is japanned black. The pillar is connected to the substage mirror via a gimbal joint. The fixed square stage has holes for the stage clips and small magnifier. The coarse focusing functions via a rack and pinion mechanism which extends a triangular column out of the pillar that moves the body-tube. Fine focus is achieved via a small thumbscrew at the bottom of the body-tube. The mahogany case has small drawer to hold slides and other items. The door has had some shrinkage and the lock no longer lines up so the door will not close all the way.
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  Microscope Lamp

  The lamp is made from brass and cast iron. The instrument stands on a cast iron circular stand which is painted black. The circular column is connected to the base and holds the lamp via an arm. The lamps height can be adjusted by loosening the thumbscrew and adjusting the height along the column. The glass and brass reservoir is connected to the burner and has a blue glass chimney with a white porcelain shade which is removable. The shade is held by a circular attachment which stands adjacent to the column and can be adjusted vertically by a thumbscrew located at the bottom of the arm.