Cary-type compound microscope
Datecirca 1830
Inventory Number2002-1-0063
ClassificationMicroscope
Subject
Maker
William Cary
c. 1759 - 1825
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Dimensionsmicroscope: 21 × 12.9 × 11.5 cm (8 1/4 × 5 1/16 × 4 1/2 in.)
case: 3.4 × 12.9 × 11.5 cm (1 5/16 × 5 1/16 × 4 1/2 in.)
case: 3.4 × 12.9 × 11.5 cm (1 5/16 × 5 1/16 × 4 1/2 in.)
Material
AccessoriesFour objectives; high power simple magnifier; brass forceps; ivory handled dissecting needle; ivory handled knife; tortoise-shell enclosed knife; stage-mounted brass and blued steel forceps with steel pin at opposite end; articulated bull's eye condenser; live box to fit in stage; flat case.
DescriptionMahogany box with liftout tray lined with dark teal velvet. Brass rectangular pillar screws in brass socket on the case lid. Focus by use of rackwork on the pillar to move stage up and down. Brass stage has spring for slides and will take round live box / glass stage. The live box is also designed for aquatic samples. There are holes to insert stage forceps or a bull's eye condenser. Substage mirror is missing.
Accessories included in the box are 4 objectives; high power simple magnifier; brass forceps; ivory handled dissecting needle; ivory handled knife; tortoise-shell enclosed knife; stage-mounted brass and blued steel forceps with steel pin at opposite end; articulated bull's eye condenser; and live box to fit in stage.
The low-power objectives and a high-power special lens may form a simple microscope. This is not suited as aquatic microscope as it is mounted in the center of the case and therefore cannot look over its edge as some Cary-types could.
Accessories included in the box are 4 objectives; high power simple magnifier; brass forceps; ivory handled dissecting needle; ivory handled knife; tortoise-shell enclosed knife; stage-mounted brass and blued steel forceps with steel pin at opposite end; articulated bull's eye condenser; and live box to fit in stage.
The low-power objectives and a high-power special lens may form a simple microscope. This is not suited as aquatic microscope as it is mounted in the center of the case and therefore cannot look over its edge as some Cary-types could.
Signedon rackwork: Cary, LONDON
FunctionThis type of portable microscope was very convenient to take into the field and satisfied the great wave of interest in natural history in the early 19th century. Charles Darwin owned a similar Cary-type microscope in his younger days.
ProvenanceGift of Max and Florence Brodsky Family, 2002.
English
Date: circa 1830
Accessories: 4 objectives; 1 objective fixed to compound body tube; 1 ocular; live box with glass; ivory black / white disk; stage forceps; brush; 3 ivory slides; 1 glass slide; 1 dissecting needle; specimen list; box.
Object number: 1005
William Cary
Date: circa 1820
Accessories: objectives (4): 1 to 4; attached ocular; objective with Lieberkühn; 4 ivory slides; 2 stage forceps; scalpel, dissecting needle, brush; 3 glass slides; mirror; bull's eye condenser; insect box; black/white disc; round brass stage with glass window ; flat wooden case; booklet.
Object number: 1162
English
Date: circa 1830
Accessories: 4 objectives; 1 ocular; live box with glass; ivory black / white disk; stage forceps; dissecting needle; brass tweezers; watch glass; 3 ivory slides; glass slide; specimen list; box with key.
Object number: 1003
English
Date: circa 1830
Accessories: 2 objectives; 1 ocular; live box with glass; ivory black / white disk; stage forceps; dissecting needle; 3 ivory slides; 2 glass slides; specimen list; crystal specimen; mica cover slips; box.
Object number: 1004
Alexander Mackenzie
Date: circa 1820
Accessories: 2 stage forceps; tweezers; live box; substage mirror; convertible objective of three lenses; 3 ivory slides; magnifier lens; cardboard box for covers; instruction sheet; flat case.
Object number: 1261
Harmanus van Deyl
Date: 1807
Accessories: 2 objectives; 2 eye lenses for a fixed field lens; 1 Lieberkühn; frogplate; bull's eye; stage forceps; spring stage; live box; hand lens; 2 tweezers; 2 boxes with 59 specimen slides; glass disk; black disk; "fish" tube with wire; ivory box of mica cover slips; 5 glass slides; 3 lenses; 2 keys.
Object number: 2002-1-0075a
Edward Bryan
Date: 1866-1879
Accessories: objectives in canisters (3): 1/4, 1, 2 inch; ocular; live box; box of cover slips; prepared slides (5 small, 12 large); ivory slide; 5 powdered specimens in blue paper; bull's eye condenser; stage forceps; standing case with parts drawer.
Object number: 1085
Stephen Bithray
Date: 1826-1838
Accessories: objectives (3); prepared ivory slides (5); stage forceps; live box; substage mirror; stage bullseye; flat case.
Object number: 1330
William Cary
Date: circa 1827
Accessories: 3 objectives; live box; 2 ivory sliders; box
Object number: 1188
Charles-Louis Chevalier
Date: circa 1840
Accessories: 2 convertible objectives: 1, 2, 3 and 0,00,000; 2 oculars; simple magnifiers: 3 and 5, with support bracket; extension pillar; bull's eye stage condenser on jointed arm; forceps; 3 prepared slides; box of cover glasses; 1/100 mm stage micrometer; camera lucida; tall bell jar; padlock on chain; case with key; table of magnifications
Object number: 1079
Edward Marmaduke Clarke
Date: 1838-1840
Accessories: 5 objectives for simple microscope; 2 objectives for compound microscope (1 in can; 1 with lieberkuhn); cup diaphragm with lieberkuhn in brass box; brass box of cover slips; stage forceps; tweezers; 2 live boxes; frog plate; bull's eye; fish tube wire; wrench; chamois; 2 unmounted lenses; 40 prepared slides; standing case; 2 keys.
Object number: 1018
English
Date: circa 1795
Accessories: 1 ocular; 6 objectives: 1 to 6; stage condenser; stage forceps; live box; live well (watch glass); black/white stage plate; fish tube; 6 prepared wooden slides; tweezers; dissecting needle; a quill; bull's eye lens on stand; round brass box; 3 narrow glass slides; 3 glass slides; flat mahogany case.
Object number: 1303