ANTIQUE E LEITZ WETZLAR MICROSCOPES PORTABLE

A collapsible pocket microscope developed by Bausch & Lomb in 1865 – a precursor to a folding, portable dissecting microscope developed in 1880.A dissecting microscope, requiring the specimen and microscope be held in one hand, was patented in 1891.A walking cane that could convert into a microscope or telescope, patented by James Pool in 1877.The profusion of manufacturers led to some unusual instruments such as: Originally selling for $200, this model is a fine collectible today.īausch & Lomb and Carl Zeiss were preeminent figures in the field of microscopy, but other manufacturers also made instruments of great value and interest to collectors.Įrnst Leitz of Germany and Parisian Camille Sebastien Nachet made quality microscopes that survive to this day Watson & Son began operations in mid-1800’s England Powell & Lealand, Beck, and Aransberg are other names associated with the collection of antique microscopes. Redesigned as a binocular microscope in 1883, it was one of the first commonly used binocular scopes. Mainly constructed of brass, this model had nickel plating and hard rubber mounts for the eyepieces.Ī frictionless fine focus was achieved by using a micrometer screw located at the rear of the tube.

ANTIQUE E LEITZ WETZLAR MICROSCOPES PROFESSIONAL

Manufactured in 1876, the first professional model towering 17” tall was the Bausch & Lomb Model 76. They used different methods for focusing the instrument: a crew thread focus control on the nose end of the barrel, later discontinued in 1878, a draw tube similar to several other manufacturers and a rack and pinion system. Initially manufacturing single lens microscopes, they graduated to producing compound microscopes in 1874. Immigrating to the United States from Germany in middle of the 19th century, Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb began their association by manufacturing eyeglasses. He further refined the instrument with the incorporation of a rack and pinion coarse focus and fine focus enabled by a graduated wheel.Ĭonsidered the finest optical instruments of the time, different magnifications were obtained by inserting eyepieces of varying lens strength into the monocular head in combination with different objectives. His later microscopes used a draw-tube coarse focus and a knob controlled fine focus. Made of brass, many of these instruments had a black japanned base. Initially building single lens instruments, in 1857 his firm began designing compound microscopes. The German lens maker, Carl Zeiss, excelled at crafting precision lenses and began manufacturing microscopes in 1847. Instruments manufactured in the 1800’s are the oldest an antique microscope collector can hope to acquire.įor further history reading feel free to follow our link on the History of the Microscope.

Antique e leitz wetzlar microscopes