Accession No

1926

Brief Description

Bestall’s polariscope, 19th C

Origin

Maker

Class

optical

Earliest Date

1800

Latest Date

1900

Inscription Date

Material

wood; paper (cardboard and at least two others); glass

Dimensions

box length 140mm; breadth 88mm; height 62mm

Special Collection

Cavendish collection

Provenance

Transferred from the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge in 1974.

Inscription

‘BESTALL’S
POLARISCOPE,
FOR SHEWING THE BEAUTIFUL
COLOURED EFFECTS OF POLARISED LIGHT.’ (paper label on lid of box)

Description Notes

Wooden box with sliding lid. Contains cardboard box with black glass mirror and pair of glass plates hinged together, one of frosted glass. Also a cardboard rectangular prism with holes at each end containing a set of stepped glass plates.

Condition good; complete (?)

References

Events