Accession No
0972
Brief Description
simple microscope, aquatic and dissecting; circa 1800
Origin
Maker
Class
microscopes
Earliest Date
1800
Latest Date
1800
Inscription Date
Material
metal (brass); glass (mirror); ivory; wood; cloth (velvet)
Dimensions
box length 123mm; breadth 106mm; height 44mm
Special Collection
Robert Whipple collection
Provenance
Inscription
Description Notes
Brass pillar with square section screws into inside of box; brass circular stage with spring base and aperture slides along pillar; lens holder at head of pillar; swinging concave mirror fits onto base of pillar; two brass live box/aquatic stages; stage forceps with black and white ground; three eye pieces, which screw together to give compound eye piece. Two six-object ivory slides; ivory handled dissecting knife. Fitted wooden box lined with green velvet.
References
Events
Description
Growing interest throughout the eighteenth century in natural history, and more particularly in pond-life, stimulated the development of the “Aquatic” microscope. This was initially designed by John Ellis (1710 - 1776) and is therefore often referred to as the “Ellis Aquatic”.
Ellis, a peripatetic naturalist, commissioned his first instrument in 1752 from John Cuff. It was designed to hold small samples of pond-water on a watch-glass stage. In this way the microscopic creatures contained in it could be observed. Several of these microscopes have dissecting tools as part of the kits and could also be used for microscopic dissection.
FM:42344
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