Accession No

1817

Brief Description

simple microscope, replica of Leeuwenhoek type, attributed to John Mayall, English, c. 1886

Origin

England [based on attributed maker]

Maker

Mayall, John [attributed]

Class

microscopes

Earliest Date

1886

Latest Date

1886

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass); paper (cardboard); hide (leather); glass

Dimensions

case height 83mm; breadth 45mm; depth 35mm

Special Collection

Heywood collection

Provenance

Purchased from the H.Heywood collection under estate duty exemption benefit with the assistance of a Science Museum grant-in-aid.

Inscription

Description Notes

Simple microscope, replica of Leeuwenhoek-type; [by John Mayall]; [English]; circa 1886.

Two brass plates riveted together with single lens held between them; pin on threaded rod which passes through bar; two further threaded rods adjust the position of the pin, attached to the plates by an ‘L’-shaped brace.
Leather covered cardboard slip case.

References

James Hyslop; 'Two Leeuwenhoek-type Microscopes'; Explore Whipple Collections online article; Whipple Museum of the History of Science; University of Cambridge; 2008: https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/explore-whipple-collections/microscopes/dutch-pioneer-antoni-van-leeuwenhoek/two-leeuwenhoek-type James Hyslop; 'John Mayall and reproductions of early microscopes'; 2008: https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/explore-whipple-collections/microscopes/dutch-pioneer-antoni-van-leeuwenhoek/mayall-reproductions

Events

Description
John Mayall (Junior) was a prominent member of both the Queckett Microscopical Club and the Royal Microscopical Society. He was a friend of Sir Frank Crisp and helped him to acquire microscopes for his extensive collection. Most notably Mayall was involved in the acquisition by Crisp of microscopes from Kings College London, including several items which had been part of the George III collection.

The simple microscope is essentially one lens, or one thick lens which is composed of two or three pieces of glass. The simple microscope has a short focal length which means that in order to focus clearly the microscope has to be held up to the eye. The magnifying power in this type of microscope ranged from 70 to 250 times.

FM:43263