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Microscope Museum Collection of antique microscopes and other
scientific instruments |
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Microscope
24A (assigned
to Deyrolle; late 19th century to early 20th
century)
The ‘Les fils d'Émile
Deyrolle’, which traded from 1831 to 2003, was originally founded by Jean-Baptiste
Deyrolle in Paris, France. He sold insects for natural history collections,
and the business was passed down in the family and expanded to taxidermy and
other natural history specimens. Four generations after opening the business
the heirs changed the name to "Les Fils d'Émile Deyrolle” (they had
taken over the business by 1896). At some point in history, they traded also
optical instruments such as microscopes and other scientific equipment for
the mounting, displaying, and maintenance and care of natural history
specimens and collections. Microscope 24A is a small student or 'elementary'
microscope of French origin from the late 19th century to the
early 20th century. Focusing is by pushing or pulling the optical
tube but similar instruments are known where focusing is by a rack and pinion
system. A similar microscope appears in the catalogue Micrography of
July 1900, edited by ‘Les Fils d'Émile Deyrolle’, under the name "elementary
microscope with straight column, model A" (Figure 1, left). It is
not clear if this firm actually manufactured their
microscopes, but they definitely retailed similar instruments. These types of
microscopes were still sold during the first half of the 20th century, for
example described as microscope de poche dit miniature in the
catalogue of the French company E. Vion from 1929 (Figure 1, right).
Figure 1. A Modèle
A microscope with rack and pinion focusing and a bullseye condenser as
pictured in the catalogue Micrography of July 1900, edited by ‘Les
Fils d'Émile Deyrolle’. This model was sold for 22fr, while the simpler
versions without rack and pinion were sold for 15fr. The same microscope
appears in a subsequent 1931 catalogue of the same firm (left). Microscope
de poche dit miniature as engraved in the catalogue of the French company
E. Vion from 1929 (right). References COMPOUND PORTABLE MICROSCOPE, c. 1900, MODEL: Modèle A, MAKER:
Deyrolle (https://www.microscope-antiques.com/deyrolleA.html), last accessed on 13.08.2020 Microscope élémentaire à colonne droite, hauteur 17 cm (http://www.lecompendium.com/dossier_optique_18_microscope_droit_a_colonne_17cm/microscope_elementaire_a_colonne_17cm.htm), last accessed on 13.08.2020 Microscope droit à crémaillère, de hauteur 21 cm (http://www.lecompendium.com/dossier_optique_78_microscope_droit_a_cremaillere_21cm/microscope_droit_a_cremaillere_21cm.htm), last accessed on 13.08.2020 Microscope à colonne droite, hauteur 24 cm (http://www.lecompendium.fr/dossier_optique_186_microscope_droit_24cm/microscope_droit_24cm.htm), last accessed on 13.08.2020 LAST EDITED: 15.08.2020 |
