Accession No

0198

Brief Description

compound microscope, continental side pillar type; made by F. Villette; circa 1760

Origin

Liège; Belgium

Maker

Villette. F.

Class

microscopes

Earliest Date

1760

Latest Date

1760

Inscription Date

Material

metal; hide ([leather]); glass; paint

Dimensions

height 385mm; depth 225mm; breadth 180mm

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased by Robert Stewart Whipple. This object was part of the Crisp Collection, and was sold as Lot 170 at the auction of this collection held on 17/02/1925 at the Steven’s Auction Rooms. The price included a commission to T. H. Court. A photocopy of the Crisp inventory record is contained in the history file, and records that the object was “Purchased at Naples, Italy in 1886.”

Inscription

F. Villette A Liege.

Description Notes

Octagonal box base with fitted drawer. Base painted black with gold edging. Stand mounted either side of base with pins to stage which pivots to the side. Bars parallel to legs of stand, clamped to the stand at the base by knurled screws. Brace between clamps with swinging plano / concave mirror. Square pillar with knurled finial and screw focussing body. Brass body covered with black [leather] with gold tooling. Screw fit brass snout with screw fit objective. Screw fit collar with screw fit field lens and eye piece. Frog plate and 3 objectives marked 1-3.

References

Events