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Compass Microscope Outfit
[Text discription below.]
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20051
English Compass Microscope Outfit:
English ca. 1745. Unsigned (1,3,4). The compass microscope is housed in a simple, black sharkskin covered, wooden box (13.3 cm X 9.2 cm X 2.9 cm) with two period brass “C” hooks and eye catches, and two brass hinges. The interior of the case reveals fitted compartments lined with green velvet which hold a variety of accessories and apparatus. Small sections of exposed wood around the interior perimeter of the lid, and lower section are painted red, which is now faded.
There are four simple glass bead type lenses mounted in threaded brass housings, with silver Lieberkuhn (2) mirrors. There is a detachable brass mounted, turned ivory handle which screws into the bottom of the microscope. Focusing is accomplished by means of a small knurled thumb screw which deflects a hinged, brass panel tensioned by a blued steel spring. The brass panel in turn, is mounted with a compass joint, which holds a variety of accoutrements used to immobilize analytes for inspection. These accoutrements include a bug spike probe with a set of blued steel compression tweezers on the opposite end. A live box is present which is mountable by threaded section to the bug spike probe. A rare microscope slide holder is included which is constructed of four fire-blued compression clips mounted on an articulated platform. A reversible microscope stage is included which is a brass mounted ivory disc with one side painted black. Each side is equipped with a blued steel compression clip to hold specimens for viewing on either a white or black background. Condition: This fabulous instrument is in very fine original condition throughout. It displays very good execution of design and function. Mind soothing in its simplicity, yet elevated to a level of engineering excellence. All four lens are intact and provide clear and erect images of increasing magnification. Magnifications are approximately 10X, 20X, 50X and 100X. The instrument is in full working order. In the case, there are glass squares below the objectives which are used for the preparation and inspection of pond water samples, and to provide protection for the silver lamenated lieberkuhn mirrors when in storage. Origin of the Compass Microscope:
The origin of the compass microscope can be traced back to the English Optician and Scientific Instrument Maker, James "1" Wilson (w 1702-1710) (5,6). In ca. 1702 Wilson began to market an improvised design of a microscope-magnifier, which was destined to be called a “compass microscope.” The microscope was handheld, and had a clip on lens and a threaded rod for focusing. The design was extremely rudimentary, but managed to function none-the-less. Quite ostensibly, this device must have had some reception/recognition by the scientific community, since he continued to work on it, and continued to improve on the design. In 1706, he made available his second form of this instrument, featuring a screw on lens and an improved handle. This design basically remained the same, with some minor improvements, until ca. 1740 when English microscope manufacturer, John Cuff (b 1708 w 1731-1771 d 1772) re-designed the microscope to include Dr. Johann Lieberkuhn’s oblique reflecting mirror-lens attachment; i.e. the “Lieberkuhn.” This modified lens was first demonstrated to The Royal Society in London by Dr. Lieberkuhn in 1740 (2). This design of microscope became a very practical instrument, and manufacturing began by numerous London scientific instrument makers such as George Adams, Benjamin Martin, Thomas "1" Ribright and W & S Jones. The type of compass microscope more commonly encountered today, such as that illustrated, can trace its origins back to a design/production time frame of ca. 1740-1745. Provenance: Mark Hacking
Bibliography:
1. For a nearly identical microscope, please see Turner, Gerard L'E (1981) Collecting Microscopes, ISBN [0 8317 5950 X] p. 29.
2. The silver Lieberkuhn mirror was invented by the German anatomist and physician Dr. Johann N. Lieberkuhn, and was first demonstrated to the members of the Royal Society in London in 1740, thus helping to date this instrument, post 1740.
3. For a similar instrument please note inventory #270 in: Turner, Gerard L'E (1989) The Collection of the Royal Microscopical Society: The Great Age of the Microscope ISBN [0-85274-020-4]. Please note also: The Billings Microscope Collection Fig 20, p. 155 (AFIP 49157-60-4713-99) with attributes to George Adams, ca. 1738 (?). Please note also, The Science Museum, London; Object #A67391.
4. An identical instrument is illustrated and described in George Adams' Micrographia Illustrata, edn. 1747, p.16, pl. 5, Fig. 8 (See picture.) This design of compass microscope was also described by Henry Baker (1698-1774) in his essay, The Microscope Made Easy, 1745. Interestingly, the alphabetical numeration of each of the illustrations is the same, with only slight variance in the engravings. The actual design itself probably took place between 1740-1745, with production occurring within the same time frame. 5. Please see: [Microscope-antiques.com/compass.html#history]. 6. Clifton, Gloria (1995) Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851. ISBN [0 302 00634 0] p. 300.
English ca. 1745. Unsigned (1,3,4). The compass microscope is housed in a simple, black sharkskin covered, wooden box (13.3 cm X 9.2 cm X 2.9 cm) with two period brass “C” hooks and eye catches, and two brass hinges. The interior of the case reveals fitted compartments lined with green velvet which hold a variety of accessories and apparatus. Small sections of exposed wood around the interior perimeter of the lid, and lower section are painted red, which is now faded.
There are four simple glass bead type lenses mounted in threaded brass housings, with silver Lieberkuhn (2) mirrors. There is a detachable brass mounted, turned ivory handle which screws into the bottom of the microscope. Focusing is accomplished by means of a small knurled thumb screw which deflects a hinged, brass panel tensioned by a blued steel spring. The brass panel in turn, is mounted with a compass joint, which holds a variety of accoutrements used to immobilize analytes for inspection. These accoutrements include a bug spike probe with a set of blued steel compression tweezers on the opposite end. A live box is present which is mountable by threaded section to the bug spike probe. A rare microscope slide holder is included which is constructed of four fire-blued compression clips mounted on an articulated platform. A reversible microscope stage is included which is a brass mounted ivory disc with one side painted black. Each side is equipped with a blued steel compression clip to hold specimens for viewing on either a white or black background. Condition: This fabulous instrument is in very fine original condition throughout. It displays very good execution of design and function. Mind soothing in its simplicity, yet elevated to a level of engineering excellence. All four lens are intact and provide clear and erect images of increasing magnification. Magnifications are approximately 10X, 20X, 50X and 100X. The instrument is in full working order. In the case, there are glass squares below the objectives which are used for the preparation and inspection of pond water samples, and to provide protection for the silver lamenated lieberkuhn mirrors when in storage. Origin of the Compass Microscope:
The origin of the compass microscope can be traced back to the English Optician and Scientific Instrument Maker, James "1" Wilson (w 1702-1710) (5,6). In ca. 1702 Wilson began to market an improvised design of a microscope-magnifier, which was destined to be called a “compass microscope.” The microscope was handheld, and had a clip on lens and a threaded rod for focusing. The design was extremely rudimentary, but managed to function none-the-less. Quite ostensibly, this device must have had some reception/recognition by the scientific community, since he continued to work on it, and continued to improve on the design. In 1706, he made available his second form of this instrument, featuring a screw on lens and an improved handle. This design basically remained the same, with some minor improvements, until ca. 1740 when English microscope manufacturer, John Cuff (b 1708 w 1731-1771 d 1772) re-designed the microscope to include Dr. Johann Lieberkuhn’s oblique reflecting mirror-lens attachment; i.e. the “Lieberkuhn.” This modified lens was first demonstrated to The Royal Society in London by Dr. Lieberkuhn in 1740 (2). This design of microscope became a very practical instrument, and manufacturing began by numerous London scientific instrument makers such as George Adams, Benjamin Martin, Thomas "1" Ribright and W & S Jones. The type of compass microscope more commonly encountered today, such as that illustrated, can trace its origins back to a design/production time frame of ca. 1740-1745. Provenance: Mark Hacking
Bibliography:
1. For a nearly identical microscope, please see Turner, Gerard L'E (1981) Collecting Microscopes, ISBN [0 8317 5950 X] p. 29.
2. The silver Lieberkuhn mirror was invented by the German anatomist and physician Dr. Johann N. Lieberkuhn, and was first demonstrated to the members of the Royal Society in London in 1740, thus helping to date this instrument, post 1740.
3. For a similar instrument please note inventory #270 in: Turner, Gerard L'E (1989) The Collection of the Royal Microscopical Society: The Great Age of the Microscope ISBN [0-85274-020-4]. Please note also: The Billings Microscope Collection Fig 20, p. 155 (AFIP 49157-60-4713-99) with attributes to George Adams, ca. 1738 (?). Please note also, The Science Museum, London; Object #A67391.
4. An identical instrument is illustrated and described in George Adams' Micrographia Illustrata, edn. 1747, p.16, pl. 5, Fig. 8 (See picture.) This design of compass microscope was also described by Henry Baker (1698-1774) in his essay, The Microscope Made Easy, 1745. Interestingly, the alphabetical numeration of each of the illustrations is the same, with only slight variance in the engravings. The actual design itself probably took place between 1740-1745, with production occurring within the same time frame. 5. Please see: [Microscope-antiques.com/compass.html#history]. 6. Clifton, Gloria (1995) Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851. ISBN [0 302 00634 0] p. 300.
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