Accession No
6232
Brief Description
Perrin’s ‘Phantom Eye’; ophthalmological demonstration model, by Nachet, 2/2 19th century
Origin
France
Maker
Nachet
Class
optical; demonstration
Earliest Date
1850
Latest Date
1890
Inscription Date
Material
wood(pine); material (felt); metal (brass); paper; paint; glass
Dimensions
Box - length; 247mm width; 111mm depth; 41mm Assembled model - height; 250mm (approx)
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Trevor Philip & Sons, 75a Jermyn Street, St James’s, London on or before 23/07/2008.
Inscription
T D Acland
Eye. (painted in silver on lid of box)
Dr Acland
19 Bryanston Square
W (paper label pasted on underside of lid)
19. Bryanston Sqr. W.
T.D Acland (written in ink on underside of lid)
Nachet (engraved on brass eye on stand)
Description Notes
Perrin’s ‘Phantom Eye’; ophthalmological demonstration model, by Nachet, 2/2 19th century.
Inscription indicates that the instrument was owned by a Dr. T. D. Acland.
Original fitted pine box; stained black on exterior with silver painted inscription. Box has brass hinges and hook and eye latch fastenings.
Underside of box is unstained and inscribed with black ink; paper label is pasted towards bottom right hand corner. Underside of lid has four wooden felt covered bars which comprises one half of the interior protective fittings of the box.
The main section of box comprises one large holder for twelve brass painted discs, and a smaller insert for two brass lenses to the top left. The bottom length of the box holds the brass eye on its stand and the base is situated to the top right. A further three felt covered bars hold the eye and stand in place.
The brass discs have painted paper pasted into the cavity and the decoration depicts examples of the eye.
Each of the painted brass discs are numbered on the underside; 1,2, two number 3’s, 4-8, 10-12 (12 in all).
The left and right hand lenses have M.E and A.S inscribed on them respectively. The brass eye has H along with makers name (as detailed above) inscribed on it.
One piece of unstained wood exists; function/original location unknown.
In good condition; exterior of box has a number of small dents and scores on the surface and two of the corners have suffered minor abrasions which has exposed the unstained wood beneath.
One of the brass hooks of the latch has penetrated the opposite side of the wood and has caused it to spilt; piece remains attached.
Remainder of component parts are in good condition.
References
Events
Description
The ‘phantom eye’ was a teaching aid used for ophthalmological demonstrations. Different combinations of lenses (which represented characteristics such as astigmatism or farsightedness) and discs (which represented various ophthalmological disorders) were placed in the brass ‘eye’; a projection screen could then be attached and a light shone through the eye to project an image showing how the back of an eye suffering from a particular condition would appear through an ophthalmoscope. This example of Perrin’s Phantom Eye was owned by Theodore Dyke Acland (1851–1931) a British physician, surgeon and author. Acland graduated from the University of Oxford with the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) in 1883. He spent time abroad as the Principal Medical Officer for the Egyptian Army. In 1893, he was appointed physician to St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, and later became Consulting Physician and Governor of St. Thomas’ and the Brompton Hospital. Throughout his career, Acland was an active member on various advisory boards, councils and committees.
18/02/2014
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 18/02/2014
FM:46705
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