Accession No

6656

Brief Description

compound microscope, No. 25, used by Dr. Martin Barry, by F.W. Schiek, German, mid 19th Century; with bound volume of the works of Barry, Scottish, 1837-1838

Origin

Germany; Berlin; and Scotland

Maker

Schiek, F. W. [microscope maker] Barry, Martin [works writer]

Class

microscopy; biology

Earliest Date

1837

Latest Date

1838

Inscription Date

Material

metal (brass, other); wood (mahogany?); glass; cloth (velvet)

Dimensions

6656.1: 90mm x 220mm x 420mm 6656.2:

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from Aspley Antiques, 244 Peppard Road, Emmer Green, Reading, Berkshire, RG4 8UA. on or before 25/05/2017. Purchased with a grant from the PRISM fund.

Inscription

Description Notes

Microscope, No. 25, by F.W. Schiek, German, mid-nineteenth century. Used by Dr. Martin Barry and with bound volume of the works of Barry, Scottish, mid-nineteenth century.

6656.1: Microscope No. 25 used by Martin Barry, by F.W. Schiek, German, mid nineteenth century

Brass compound microscope in fitted mahogany box with six objective lenses (numbered 1-6) and 4 eyepiece lenses (labelled 1-4). Additionally with 4 slides (some with specimens) and tweezers; additional viewing platform(?) with removable lens; two brass screws and adjustable fixture for platform; brass lens (for use independently?) and stage clips. There are three drawers containing an additional fixture for the platform as well as small portions of glass (some broken), presumably from slide preparations. The central drawer is jammed shut as the wood has warped. Underneath a lid are also an additional set of fixtures, including a magnifying glass, a clamp and needle, two more lenses and an additional unidentified brass component.

In good condition, incomplete [?], three portions of the box are empty.

6656.2: Bound volume of the works of Dr. Martin Barry, assembled by Barry's brother in law (with a note to that affect included in the binding).

On the inside cover are three additional pieces of correspondence, including an invitation from the Royal College of Surgeons of England to Professor J.D. Boyd, a letter in an envelope from Dr. Bullock to Professor Boyd, and a letter from the Faculté de Medecine de Paris to Professor Boyd [in French]. The bound works include some works with annotations, assumedly by Barry.

In good condition.

References

Events

Description
This microscope was used in the mid-nineteenth century by Dr. Martin Barry, a British histologist and embryologist, when making the first ever observations of spermatozoa inside a mammalian egg. Barry also asserted, controversially, that using this instrument he had discovered 'double spirals' - a fundamental structure involved in the formation of all living tissue. This assertion was criticised by many of his contemporaries, who often favoured English instruments over Barry's German Sheik microscope.

The bound volume includes copies of all of Barry's published works, assembled by his brother-in-law.
16/05/2018
Created by: Rosanna Evans on 16/05/2018

FM:47273