Antique & Scientific Instruments U.K.

 

 

ANTIQUE MICROSCOPES and ACCESSORIES for sale

GEORGIAN MICROSCOPES

 

A fine antique microscope from the Georgian period, with accessories, which folds to fit in its mahogany case. The folding feet make a flat tripod, which has a pillar rising from its centre, terminating in a compass joint. This carries a bracket which holds the triangular section bar with rack. The stage runs on this bar, controlled by a thumbwheel operated pinion for focusing and low down on the rack slides a sleeve for the gimbal of the double-sided mirror. The sprung stage is rectangular, with holes to accommodate both the bulls-eye condenser on its articulated arm and stage forceps. At the top of the limb is the bar into which the body-tube plugs. The body-tube has a built-in eyepiece and, unusually, draws out to adjust the tube length, bringing the microscope to a height of just over 15 inches in the working position. All six numbered objectives are present, with two other (achromatic?) objective lenses. Accessories include, a small pair of forceps, stage forceps on a ball-jointed mount, live-box, lieberkuhn with built in, objective lens and ivory slides. 30 specimens are included on 5 six-place ivory sliders. The mahogany case is fully fitted with a recessed handle and working lock & key. This early 19th century transitional microscope set has been sympathetically refurbished to a very high standard and makes a fine display as well as being an early working microscope. - £1850

 

 GRAND BINOCULAR MICROSCOPES

 

An antique binocular microscope which has the trade plate for J.PARKES & SON, 5 ST.MARY’S ROW BIRMINGHAM  on the foot, with accessories in it’s fitted mahogany case. This is an early Parkes model, dated around 1870. It has rack & pinion inter-ocular separation, straight rack & pinion main focus and limb mounted fine focus. The full mechanical stage has a rotating and sliding overstage, with threaded socket for sub-stage accessories. The Wenham prism assembly is removable from the nosepiece on a sliding shoe. The large plano-concave mirror has some age veining on both sides. Whilst the foot is the standard Ross claw foot type, the limb assembly is a cross between the Ross and Jackson types, possibly a prototype. The huge range of accessories include a box of cover slips, live box, large parabolic sub-stage condenser in brass can, sub-stage wheel of stops with blue filter, Wenham prism on sliding shoe, a sub-stage poleriser, nosepiece analyser, sub-stage condenser on thumbwheel controlled rackwork, two pairs (low power and high power) of top-hat style oculars, 3 different power eyepieces for high power monocular work, 4 objectives in matching brass cans (1/8, ¼, ½ & 2 inch), the two high power being adjustable for cover slip thickness. There is a sliding drawer containing some of the accessories, the rest of which are fitted into the main case. The microscope and accessories fit into a hand made dovetailed mahogany case with inset brass carry handle, lock but no key and a catch to the door.- on hold

 

 

A very rare Wenham binocular microscope signed on the limb J T Slugg Manchester. Josiah Slugg was famous for his writings, particularly “REMINISCENCES OF MANCHESTER FIFTY YEARS AGO” published in 1881, and for making low cost astronomical telescopes. I can find no records of him ever having made a microscope and the engraving of his signature on this microscope is remarkably similar to his neighbour J B DANCER on a similar period instrument. Slugg was trained as a chemist and made his money from soda water whilst developing a keen interest in astronomy and scientific subjects. Like Dancer, he lectured on scientific subjects without taking a fee and he was a preacher at the local Wesleyan Sunday School in Manchester. This microscope was probably commissioned by Slugg in an attempt to produce a low cost binocular microscope. When it comes to quality, this is the bottom of the pile. The lacquer is poor, there is no mechanical inter-ocular separation, just a screw for each side to prevent the draw tube from coming out of the body. The stand is an early iron Society of Arts type foot, with recessed rack and thumbwheel driven pinion main focus, nosepiece lever fine focus, built-under wheel of stops condenser, plano-concave mirror and Wenham prism on a sliding shoe to facilitate low power binocular or monocular vision for high power work. Although the prism looks to be in good condition, the stereo vision leaves something to be desired. The minimal accessories comprise a pair of eyepieces and two non-RMS objectives in brass cans. One of the objectives is an early “button type” again similar to those used by Dancer on his early low cost microscopes. This type of objective can be used on different powers by removing or adding one of the “buttons. The microscope measures some 15 inches tall in the working position, and the oculars are removed to fit into its case. This model is an early development of the Wenham binocular microscope introduced in 1861 as it is fitted with pre-RMS objectives. The simple mechanical stage has a slide bar and (unusually) one control thumbwheel on each side of the stage. The rack work is in operating condition. The microscope and accessories fit into a (later I think) oak case with brass carry handle from which someone has removed the lock and fitted a later catch to hold the door closed. The microscope has, no doubt, had a life possibly being used by Slugg himself for research and reflects what can only be described as the “bottom end” of the binocular microscope range in the third quarter of the 19th century, but it is still a working microscope and a very rare find. - £550

 

 

VICTORIAN MONOCULAR MICROSCOPES

 

  A top of the range WATSON No. 1 Van Heurck microscope, with matching top class Holoscopic optics in it’s fitted mahogany case. The main focus and first stage draw tube is by rack & pinion and fine focus is by thumbwheel-lever. The microscope has a mechanical stage with thumb-wheel "X - Y" control & scales and a slide clamp with clips, on a circular rotating  stage. The mechanical, centring, sub-stage has thumbwheel controlled fine adjustment and holds a lever-operated iris and swing-out filter holder with inter-changeable condenser threads. The plano-convex mirror is on a swing-out limb for oblique illumination, and the stand is engraved with the makers name, address and instrument serial number. This number, 14422, dates it to 1910 and an engraving on the steady bar R.D.C. 27336 which I guess is the first owner’s serial number. The microscope comes with a host of accessories including six objectives (2 in., 25mm, 12mm, 8mm & 2mm Holoscopic in matching lacquered brass cans and a 2mm Apochromatic in matching can), 4 "top hat" type eyepieces (two Holoscopic adjustable types X5 & X14 and 2 Huyg. X15 & X10 ).  Sub-stage accessories include a universal condenser, a Nelsons D.G. condenser, a Holos immersion parabolic condenser, a can of filters & stops and a poleriser. Over stage accessories include a nosepiece analyser, free-standing bullseye condenser, stage forceps and a live box engraved “W.WATSON & SONS LTD, LONDON”. The case has a brass handle, brass hinges to the door and a working lock & key. The whole instrument is in excellent working condition, mechanically & optically, with all original finishes showing some age spotting. A top class microscope outfit from the beginning of the 20th century. - £3250

 

 

 

 

Smith & Beck Educational or shoe box microscope A classic antique microscope known as Smith & Beck's Educational model, sometimes referred to as the milk box or shoebox microscope. Richard Beck wrote a book, The Achromatic Microscope, (1865) in which this microscope with all its accessories and uses was featured. A facsimile of the book has been published by SHL. Its unique design enables it to be packed into a very compact (shoe box) type case. The microscope has drawtube course focus, thumbwheel fine focus, a stage bullseye, slide clip, a plano-concave mirror and has the name “SMITH & BECK, LONDON” and serial number “1820” (dating it to 1858) on both the trunnions. The model was sold with all the accessories needed by students to study a wide range of subjects, illuminating from above or below, using polarized light (or not), measure the size of the subject and reproduce a picture of the subject. The accessories included with this instrument are:  Polarizer, Analyser, Camera Lucida, Live Box, Sub-Stage stop, a dark-ground and a parabolic condenser, paper covered micrometer slide, wet trough with ledge, 2 eyepieces and 3 objectives.  See no.176 in Turner's RMS book for a similar model. The mahogany fitted box is of the “shoe-box” type and is in excellent condition with brass handle and hinges and measures approx. 12 x 5 x 5 inches. - £650.

 

 

19th century "Watson & Sons”  monocular microscope   An early (pre-Edinburgh) monocular MICROSCOPE  by Watson. This is a rare 19th century "Watson & Sons”  monocular microscope with accessories in it's fitted case. The elegant design of the one piece cast foot and slender limb make a large and imposing stand. The arsenic black finished brass base is signed WATSON & SONS, 313 HIGH HOLBORN, LONDON with the number 1636 (dated to about 1885). It is all brass with it's original lacquer finish. It has rack & pinion main focus and nosepiece fine focus, a square plain stage with over stage slide holder and sub-stage socket for accessories. Beneath the stage there is a plano-concave mirror (which has some milkiness on both sides) on a swinging arm. There is a single top hat type eyepiece and two objectives (1 inch & 2 inch) in large matching lacquered brass cans as well as the sub-stage wheel of stops condenser. The fine case is made from mahogany with lacquered brass screws and brass hinges & catches and an inset lacquered brass handle. - £795

 

A selection of small pocket or field microscopes. Prices range from £25 each

 

MICROSCOPES FROM THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

A vintage WATSON SERVICE microscope with accessories in its fitted mahogany case. This vintage microscope is labeled on the front of the body tube with the makers name, address, W.WATSON & SONS Ltd., LONDON, model and serial number  "SERVICE", 38854, dating to 1926. It has a calibrated extending eyepiece tube, rack & pinion main focus, fine focus, triple nosepiece and slide clips above the square stage. Beneath the stage is a thumbscrew operated mechanical sub-stage, holding an “Abbe” type condenser with lever-operated iris, swing out filter holder and plane mirror. The microscope comes with 3 objectives (1/6, 2/3 & 3 in.) all in bakelite containers and 2 eyepieces (x10 & x6). The microscope is housed in a mahogany case with brass hinges, leather handle and working lock and key. A fine vintage Watson outfit in excellent working order - £165

 

An antique CONTINENTAL STYLE MICROSCOPE BY R & J BECK Ltd., LONDON. This all brass microscope  is engraved on the base, R & J BECK Ltd, LONDON, 26893 (which dates it to 1905). It has rack & pinion course and micrometer thumbwheel fine focussing. The microscope comes with 3 signed objectives, a 1/12, 1/6, & 2/3 inch, with lacquered brass cans. It has 2 eyepieces, and it has a triple R & J Beck Ltd. nosepiece. The square stage has slide clips and the sub-stage socket holds an Abbe type condenser with iris type stop. The plano-concave mirror is mounted on an articulated swinging arm. All of this is mounted on a single brass pillar above a "Y" shaped foot. The microscope, which has all original lacquer, is in beautiful condition (allowing for some age spotting) and comes in a mahogany case with accessories mounted on the inside of the door. The case has a brass handle, hinges and working lock & key - £295

 

  Antique W.WATSON & SONS “PRAXIS” microscope A W.WATSON & SONS “PRAXIS” microscope, with accessories in a fitted oak case. The main focus is by rack & pinion and fine focus is by thumbwheel micrometer. The microscope has a swing out mechanical sub-stage, the mirror is on a fixed limb, and the brass continental style flat “Y” stand is engraved with the makers name, address and instrument serial number 18454 (which dates it to about 1915) and the model type.  The square stage has spring clips for slides. The microscope has a triple nosepiece changer and Abbe type substage condenser with swing-out filter stage. The instrument comes with accessories comprising three objectives (1/6 inch, 2/3 inch & 1/4 inch), a x6 and a No. 5 eyepiece. The case has a leather handle, brass hinges to the door and its original working lock & key. The whole instrument is in excellent working condition, mechanically & optically. - £325

 

 

MICROSCOPE SLIDES AND ACCESSORIES

 

 

ANTIQUE MICROSCOPE OIL LAMP A microscopists oil lamp engraved on the base in script “J.H.Steward, 456 Strand, London” The lamp base is a cast brass ring with vertical brass rod attached. The vertical rod has a further brass sleeve with a circular well for the oil burner and a further sliding sleeve with sprung ring to hold the shade. The glass reservoir holding the lamp oil has a cork stopper and brass burner with adjustment for the wick. The (replacement) white enamelled brass shade rests on it’s own separately adjustable ring to allow fine setting of the distance to the flame. The pillar is just over 10 inches tall and the height of the lamp can be extended to over 22 inches, and clamped in place with a brass thumbscrew, by sliding the assembly up the pillar. The lamp is in good working order, and provides vintage style illumination for any antique microscope. - £395

 

 

Slides and accessories, slide cases, lenses, and microscopist's tools, etc., also available. Prices ranging from £15 - please ask for your specific requirements.

 

 

 

 BOOKS

The Microscope, a Practical Handbook by Drew & Wright, 1922- £15

Modern Microscopy by Cross & Cole, 1922- £25

The Beginner's Guide to the Microscope by Chas. E. Heath,F.R.M.S. 4th edn. - The Beginner's Guide to the Microscope by Chas. E. Heath,F.R.M.S. 4th edn. - on hold  

The Microscope - A Practical Handbook, by A.H.Drew & L. Wright, 1922 - £15

The Microscope - A Simple Handbook  by Conrad beck (R & J Beck) 1923 - £15

Microscopes and microscopic life by Peter Healey, 1969 - £15

Practical Microscopy by L.C.Martin and B.K.Johnson, 1931 - £10

 

LINKS

MMS or Manchester Microscopical & Natural History Soc.

Interested in microphotographs, then this book on Stanhopes is a must.

 

 

Microscopes page last updated 02/08/2008

 

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