Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

 

      

Microscope 474 (Unassigned maker; seed or insect live-cage pocket microscope; second half of 19th century)

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Microscope 474 is a pocket live-cage microscope that would be used to observe seeds and insects. The instrument should be dated to the second half of the 19th century. Usually, these types of microscopes had glass cages (Figure 1), which doesn’t look to be the case of this instrument. There are two sliding live-cage microscopes in this instrument. Microscope 474A has a sliding brass tube with glass disc at one end. Microscope 474B consists also of a brass tube with a glass disc at one end, and a screwing lens at the other end.

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Figure 1. Seed or insect life-cage pocket microscopes as engraved in the catalogues of several firms: (A) J. Queen’s catalogue (1870; 1872); (B) R & J Beck’s catalogue (1882); (C) B. Pike’s catalogue (c1890); (D) Buron’s catalogue’s catalogue (1844); (E) J Parkes & Son’s catalogue (1862); and (F) Watkins & Hill’s catalogue (c1880).