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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  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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  Brass Telescope

  The miniature telescope comes with the original, cylinder wooden case. The telescope focuses via a sliding mechanism and is made from brass. The draw-tube has diagonal dash markings which seem to be handmade.
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  Ernst Leitz Dissecting Microscope

  The dissecting microscope is made polished brass and stands on a lead-weighted horseshoe foot. The instrument is signed "E. Leitz Wetzlar" on the foot. A rack and pinion mechanism controls the coarse focusing, and raises a triangular sectioned bar from within the pillar. The pivoting arm is attached to the top of the triangular bar and holds a split-ring mount for the lens. There is a blackened objective attachment with a mirror on a swinging arm that can be added to the lens mount. The stage plate is made from glass and brass. A substage plano-concave mirror is mounted on a swinging arm and gimbal attachment beneath the stage. The fitted mahogany case is padded with maroon velvet and is designed along a "chest" style. There is a brass ring handle located at the top of the case. There is a white plaque on the interior of the lid which reads "E.Leitz. Wetzlar. New-York 411.W.59.Str."
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  Drum Compound Microscope

  The drum compound microscope is made of brass. The style was manufactured in France, Germany and England and sold throughout the United States and Europe. Many of the microscopes manufactured using this design were unsigned due to the huge quantities sold by various makers. The microscope consists of a body-tube suspended by a tubular base above a circular specimen platform. Coarse focus functions by moving the body-tube closer or further away from the specimen platform via a sliding mechanism operated by a thumbscrew. There is also a concave sub-stage mirror located at the bottom of the microscope. The "coffin-style" mahogany case has compartments for the microscope, slides and accessories. There was a small, decorative plaque on the top of the lid, however, it is no longer attached to the case. The case is secured via a lock and key; however, the key is not present with the microscope.
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  Drum Compound Microscope

  The drum compound is made of lacquered brass. This style was manufactured in France, Germany and England and sold throughout the United States and Europe. Many of the microscopes manufactured using this design were unsigned due to the huge quantities sold by various makers. The microscope consists of a body tube suspended by a tubular base above a circular specimen platform. Coarse focusing is achieved via a sliding mechanism in which the body tube is moved closer or further away from the specimen platform. A bullseye condenser is attached to the front of the microscope which can be adjusted via the double-jointed arm. There is also a concave substage mirror located in the bottom of the microscope, which can be seen through a square cut out. The mirror can be adjusted by thumbscrews on either side of the microscope, however, the mirror is detached on one side. The "coffin-style" wooden case has compartment for the microscope and slides. The case is secured with two swing hooks.
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  Sentry-Box Type Microscope

  The "Sentry-Box" type of compound microscope is one of several types of instruments, all made of wood and decorated cardboard, manufactured in the toy district of Bavaria, Germany (near Nuremberg.) The main styles included a Culpeper-type, Sentry box-type, Solar, and Side Pillar-type. These monocular microscopes were all made in the same style with only minor variations in the decorations for nearly half a century. This microscope is signed by "JFF" within a heart, one of a few known signatures often appearing on these instruments.