Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

 

      

Microscope 188 (Emil Busch; simple compound microscope; c. 1915)

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Johann Heinrich August Duncker (1767 - 1843) began is optical instruments business in Rathenow, Germany, in 1792. Rathenow is known for its Rathenow stones, bricks made of the clay of the Havel, and for its spectacles and optical instruments. Important early products were lenses for microscopes, magnifying glasses and glasses as well as astronomical telescopes and microscopes. Duncker's son Eduard (1797 - 1878) took over the company in 1819 and, in 1845, he passed the business on to his nephew Emil Busch (1820 - 1888) as Optische Industrie-Anstalt, Rathenow. In 1872, the business became Emil Busch AG. The company was renamed Emil Busch AG Optische Industrie in 1908. Around that time, many Busch products were labelled ROJA (Rathanower Optische Institute). Zeiss became a majority shareholder in 1929, and Busch ceased making lenses. The company became the state-owned Rathenower Optische Werke GmbH in 1946 and, from 1948, VEB Rathenower Optische Werke (ROW), later becoming part of VEB Carl Zeiss Jena. Microscope 188 is signed with ‘Emil Busch A-G, Rathenow’ and has the serial number 9482. The instrument should be dated to c. 1900.

 

References

EMIL BUSCH SMALL COMPOUND MICROSCOPE C. 1915 (https://www.microscope-antiques.com/buschmedium.html), last accessed on 21.06.2021

 

LAST EDITED: 25.05.2021