Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

 

      

Microscope 539 (Olympus; CK inverted microscope; c. 1970)

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Olympus was founded in Japan, in 1919, by Takeshi Yamashita and Shintaro Terada. The name of the company at that time was Takachiho Seisakusho. The trademark Olympus was registered in 1921. In 1942, the company was renamed Takachiho Optical Co. Ltd. After the World War II, in 1949, the company became Olympus Optical Co. Ltd. In 2003, they were again renamed to Olympus Corporation. Microscope 539 is an inverted microscope, model CK, engraved with “OLYMPUS, TOKYO”. The stand has the serial number 211786, and the binocular head has the serial number 218994. This instrument should be dated to c. 1970 (Figure 1).

 

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Figure 1. Olympus’s CK inverted microscope as featured in a 1971 Gallenkamp’s catalogue.