Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

Microscope 10 (W Watson & Sons Ltd; Service I model; c. 1952)

W. Watson & Sons were opticians and camera makers trading from London and Edinburgh. The company was originally founded in 1837 by William Watson at 71 City Road, and the business continued at this address until 1861, when it moved to 313 High Holborn. In 1867, the name was changed to W. Watson & Son. In 1882, the name was changed to W. Watson & Sons. In 1900 the company acquired the John Browning and Co., and in 1908 the firm became W. Watson & Sons Ltd. In 1929 they published an advert in the British Industries Fair Catalogue as an Optical, Scientific and Photographic Exhibit, highlighting the manufacture of microscopes for medical, industrial and educational purposes. Into the 1950s, the company changed their address to 25 West End Lane, Barnet, Hertfordshire, where they stayed until the late 1960s. In 1957 the company was acquired by Pye of Cambridge and ten years later, taken over by Philips. By 1970 the manufacture of microscopes was over. Microscope 10 is a ‘Service I’ Watson’s model, which was originally described in a 1941 advert in the Journal of Scientific Instruments (Figure 1). Here, this microscope was described as being “designed to meet the demand for a robust monocular microscope incorporating those features required by the research worker”. The serial number of microscope 10 is 111575, allowing to date the instrument in the early 1950s. The stage’s serial number is 29102 and contains a universal Nº 1 Condenser Watson K2891. This instrument contains an inscription “Vet. Med. Camb. 56”, suggesting it belonged to the Department of Veterinary Medicine of University of Cambridge.

Figure 1. Watson’s Service I microscope as originally pictured in the Journal of Scientific Instruments in 1941.

References

W. Watson and Sons (https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/W._Watson_and_Sons), last accessed on 12.08.2020

LAST EDITED: 15.08.2020