Accession No

0682

Brief Description

achromatic compound microscope, by Andrew Ross, English, circa 1858

Origin

England; London

Maker

Ross, Andrew

Class

microscopes

Earliest Date

1858

Latest Date

1858

Inscription Date

1858

Material

metal (brass, oxidised brass, white metal, steel, copper); glass; wood (mahogany); ivory; paper

Dimensions

height 485mm; depth 210mm; breadth 180mm case height 561mm; depth 309mm; breadth 305mm

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased by Robert Stewart Whipple from Miss H.M.R. Yeo London SW10, England on 26/06/1932. The object was said to have belonged to S. Childe of Oxford.

Inscription

‘A, ROSS.
London
1836’ (foot)
‘1/12. In.
Ross,
London.’ (objective case)
‘1. In.
A. Ross,
London.’ (objective case)
‘1/4. In.
A. Ross,
London.’ (objective case)

Description Notes

Brass microscope with claw foot. Two uprights to massively constructed limb. Tubular tail piece with swinging plano/concave mirror on a sliding shoe. Mechanical stage operated by two knurled screws for lateral and longitudinal adjustment. Rectangular racked column with a pair of knurled screws either side of limb. Bar limb with clamping screw and fine focus screw divided [0] - 28, numbered by 7, subdivided to 1. Screw-fit body. Draw tube divided [0] - 4 inches, numbered by 1, subdivided to 0.1. Push fit eyepiece marked ‘C’.
Fitted mahogany microscope box; brass carrying handle and hinges; steel and brass lock (no key). [‘Sonden’] written in pencil on inside of door. Four drawers, three fitted, with ivory handles for lenses and slides. One contains various prepared glass slides, one covered in paper. Other accessories include 3 objectives by Ross (1 inch (dated 1858), 1/4 inch and 1/12 inch); objective Powell and Lealand (doesn’t appear to be present); 3 eyepieces, labelled ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ (that in the microscope at present); stage forceps; camera lucida; wheel diaphragm; two nicol prisms (one for eyepiece, one for objective); gillet condenser.

Condition fair (lock on case very corroded); complete.

References

Events