Accession No

6665

Brief Description

microscope set for children, Gilbert Microscope no. 21, by A. C. Gilbert Company, U.S.A., c. 1948

Origin

U.S.A.; Connecticut; New Haven

Maker

A. C. Gilbert Company

Class

demonstration; games; chemistry; microscopy

Earliest Date

1948

Latest Date

1948

Inscription Date

1948

Material

metal; plastic; glass; cork; paper

Dimensions

410mm (length) x 240mm (width) x (104mm) depth

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from an individual via www.eBay.com on 02/12/2005.

Inscription

Description Notes

Gilbert Microscope no. 21, by A.C. Gilbert Co., U.S.A., c. 1948

Gilbert microscope set with preparatory materials, chemicals and a microscope contained within a grey metal cabinet-style box. There are three shelves on each side of the box, which is hinged and opens likes a book.

On the top shelf of both the left and ride side are yellow metal test tube holders - each with 9 spaces for test tubes. These contain two empty unstoppered test tubes, four empty stoppered test tubes, one pair of tweezers, a pipette, two test tubes containing a bee and a fly specimen (respectively), and eight stoppered test tubes.

On the left side of the cabinet, the second shelf contains the No. 21 Gilbert Microscope (which is held in place by metal clips on the bottom of the shelf), as well as a Gilbert Dri Electric Power Pack, also clipped in place, and does not contain batteries. The back of the shelf is lined in red paper and labelled. There is also a loose paper label here, that assumedly was originally attached to the microscope, reading 'Gilbert Microscope adapted for use with the Polaroid Jr.'. Underneath this, there is a smaller shelf that contains a Gilbert Chemistry Specimen Jar and a wire in black rubber.

On the right side of the cabinet, the second shelf contains a translucent plastic drawer/box. This contains two small cardboard boxes (one containing fish scales in some scrunched up paper, one that is empty but that used to contain labels); a wooden handle (?); a light source on a metal fixture; a black metal fixture containing a polarising lens(?); and two green envelopes labelled 'hay' and 'zinc metal'.

The bottom shelf of the right side of the cabinet has another translucent plastic drawer/box. This contains 8 unused glass slides, two cardboard tubes, a metal draw with three indents, a glass rod; two foam stoppers (?); a 10cm ruler; a circular slide cover; a light source(?); another polarised lens; a small piece of paper with a sticky, peel-off backing; and a corroded rectangle of metal with a hole. This drawer also contains broken glass from a slide.

The cabinet comes with a yellow and red leaflet entitled, 'Gilbert Microscope Attachments', and a separate piece of paper illustrating how to set up the Gilbert Microscope Laboratory (this is in two parts and is extremely fragile).

Two more booklets entitled "How to Use the Gilbert Microscope" (1955) and "Gilbert Home Chemistry" (1952). Both contain instructions and experiments that can be carried out at home with the chemistry tool kit.

In fair/poor condition. Incomplete. Metal cabinet is very corroded.

References

Events