Monocular Compound Microscope Smith & Beck, 6 Coleman St., London, No. 1893. Made circa 1855. Very fine and rare, Victorian gilt brass monocular compound microscope with three lens arrays and the original mahogany fitted carrying box with brass handle. To be sold without reserve | Important Watches

Important Watches

Geneva, Mar 20, 2010

LOT 369

Monocular Compound Microscope Smith & Beck, 6 Coleman St., London, No. 1893. Made circa 1855. Very fine and rare, Victorian gilt brass monocular compound microscope with three lens arrays and the original mahogany fitted carrying box with brass handle. To be sold without reserve

CHF 4,000 - 6,000

USD 3,700 - 5,500 / EUR 2,800 - 4,000

Sold: CHF 3,600

C. Gilt brass, objective lens tube with large wheel for focusing, straight-type rack and pinion, horizontally and vertically adjustable rotating specimen slide with brass adjustment wheels, lower lens tube with an array of three extra correcting lenses, double-sided pivoted and rotating mirror with flat and concave mirrors, the frame pivoted on two substantial brass pillars, rotating on a circular base with three brass feet. Signed and dated on the foot. Dim. 47 x 20 cm. In good condition, cleaned

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(Lot 369) Microscopes are classed both by the number of eyepieces, as well as by the way in which the image is enlarged. A monocular microscope is made for one eye, binocular for two etc. Since various types of image distortion occur with a single lens, some microscopes such as the present lot are fitted with further lenses, these are known as compound microscopes and have a minimum of two lens arrays to help increase the maximum magnification possible. The use of a compound lens is attractive because it can correct some of the single lens aberrations, these include chromatic aberration which distorts colour and spherical aberration which distorts focus.