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Microscope Museum Collection of antique microscopes and other
scientific instruments |
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Microscope
483A (unknown
maker; simple microscope; 19th century)
Microscope 483A came in the same wooden box as the drum
microscope 481 and both look to be from the same period. This is a simple
instrument, and in many aspects, it looks to be handmade by a
not-very-skilled maker. Together with this instrument, in the same box as
microscope 481, came a typed leaflet with instructions for what was called
the ‘Eglinton lens’, dated from 1868 and signed by ‘R. Wright, London.
Inventor & Sole Manufacturer’ (image above). No further information
was found about this manufacturer and their Eglinton lenses, but the
instructions match the way microscope 483A was potentially used. An identical
instrument to microscope 483A was described by Brian Bracegirdle in his
catalogue of the microscopy collections at the science museum (Figure 1). In
this catalogue, this instrument was allocated a French origin and was
described as: “The device much resembles English flower microscopes, at
least in general form, but is made more like a toy. A wooden handle is
attached to a brass wire, on which is soldered at right angles a strip of
thin brass with a slot. On this moves a wooden bead held down to the strip by
a bent piece of brass, like a paper fastener, and with a bent piece of brass
shim to form a handle below. In this would be thrust the pin supporting the
specimen. The main pin continues upwards to support the mounted lens; this
produces a dreadful image”.
Figure 1. Flower microscope with the inventory No.
A1353 at the Science Museum in London, as featured in Brian Bracegirdle’s
catalogue of the microscopy collections at the science museum, London, Little
Imp Publications (CD, 2005). |
