B&L no. 520 educational compound microscope
Datecirca 1877
Inventory Number1056
ClassificationMicroscope
Subject
Maker
Bausch & Lomb Optical Company
1853-present
Maker
R. & J. Beck
1865 - 1920
Maker
C. C. Merriman
fl. 1870 - 1890
Supplier
John T. Ogden
fl. 1880s
User
Peabody Museum of Salem
1799-1992
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Dimensionsunassembled microscope: 29 × 14.7 × 15.3 cm (11 7/16 × 5 13/16 × 6 in.)
assembled microscope: 31.5 × 15.6 × 15.5 cm (12 3/8 × 6 1/8 × 6 1/8 in.)
case: 36.5 × 17.6 × 17.4 cm (14 3/8 × 6 15/16 × 6 7/8 in.)
assembled microscope: 31.5 × 15.6 × 15.5 cm (12 3/8 × 6 1/8 × 6 1/8 in.)
case: 36.5 × 17.6 × 17.4 cm (14 3/8 × 6 15/16 × 6 7/8 in.)
Material
AccessoriesB&L objectives (2); 1 ocular; camera lucida; eyepiece micrometer; slides (12 prepared; 2 plain); glass pipette; box of cover glasses; directions card; magnification card; case with key
Bibliography
DescriptionThe Bausch & Lomb catalogues of 1877 and 1879 (Lib. 640 and 641) defines this microscope as "No. 520 Educational Microscope."
There is a three-foot base of black enameld cast iron. It supports two turned brass pillars with an inclining joint. The arm is also black enameld cast iron. The front end forks to support the stage. The rear end extends upward to a bracket attached to a brass sleeve. The body tube is nickel plated. Coarse focus is by rack and pinion of the tube through the sleeve. The fine focus is by means of a screw under the right side of the stage.
The rectangular stage is made of hard rubber. A revolving wheel diaphragm and a concave mirror are located below the stage. The mirror's frame and the wheel diaphragm are also hard rubber.
This instrument is accompanied by a standing wooden case, made of walnut and marked 210. It has a key. Inside the door, there is a "Special Directions to Purchasers" card. The magnification card gives the "Linear Magnifying Powers of E. Gundlach's Objectives and Eye-pieces at 10 inches distance." It is marked for "Micrsocope No. 210."
At present, there are two Bausch & Lomb objectives in their canisters: student 3/4, and a series [letter] I, 2/3 with N.A. 0.25. These are signed. The eyepiece is unsigned and made of hard rubber.
Other accessories include a camera lucida and eyepiece micrometer made of hard rubber; 12 prepared slides; 2 empty slides; and a pill box with cover slips.
The slides include:
4 commercially prepared slides by R. & J. Beck, Philadelphia. Mounted in decorative papers of green, turqoise, and burgundy, rimmed in red and yellow.
2 commercially prepared slides by C. C. Merriman, Rochester. Each has a square paper label glued at each end. These are bordered with geometric and ribboned patterns. The left side label is printed with the specimen identity. The right label is printed with a recommendation for illumination (e.g., Black-Ground Illumination), followed by a handwritten note in black ink specifying the best objective to use. Below this is printed the maker's name. Between the two labels is a yellow circle on the glass containing the fixed specimens.
There is a three-foot base of black enameld cast iron. It supports two turned brass pillars with an inclining joint. The arm is also black enameld cast iron. The front end forks to support the stage. The rear end extends upward to a bracket attached to a brass sleeve. The body tube is nickel plated. Coarse focus is by rack and pinion of the tube through the sleeve. The fine focus is by means of a screw under the right side of the stage.
The rectangular stage is made of hard rubber. A revolving wheel diaphragm and a concave mirror are located below the stage. The mirror's frame and the wheel diaphragm are also hard rubber.
This instrument is accompanied by a standing wooden case, made of walnut and marked 210. It has a key. Inside the door, there is a "Special Directions to Purchasers" card. The magnification card gives the "Linear Magnifying Powers of E. Gundlach's Objectives and Eye-pieces at 10 inches distance." It is marked for "Micrsocope No. 210."
At present, there are two Bausch & Lomb objectives in their canisters: student 3/4, and a series [letter] I, 2/3 with N.A. 0.25. These are signed. The eyepiece is unsigned and made of hard rubber.
Other accessories include a camera lucida and eyepiece micrometer made of hard rubber; 12 prepared slides; 2 empty slides; and a pill box with cover slips.
The slides include:
4 commercially prepared slides by R. & J. Beck, Philadelphia. Mounted in decorative papers of green, turqoise, and burgundy, rimmed in red and yellow.
2 commercially prepared slides by C. C. Merriman, Rochester. Each has a square paper label glued at each end. These are bordered with geometric and ribboned patterns. The left side label is printed with the specimen identity. The right label is printed with a recommendation for illumination (e.g., Black-Ground Illumination), followed by a handwritten note in black ink specifying the best objective to use. Below this is printed the maker's name. Between the two labels is a yellow circle on the glass containing the fixed specimens.
Signedon tube: BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO. ROCHESTER, N. Y.
on canister for 2/3 objective: BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO. / ROCHESTER, N.Y. / NEW YORK CITY.
on 2/3 objective: Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. / ROCHESTER, N. Y. & NEW YORK CITY.
on canister for 3/4 objective: * BAUSCH & LOMB * / OPTICAL CO.
on 3/4 objective: BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO.
on prepared slides: C. C. MERRIMAN, / ROCHESTER, N. Y.
on prepared slides: R. & J. BECK / 921 / Chestnut / St. / PHILADA.
on pillbox: From / JOHN T. OGDEN, / 594 Washington St. / Next Globe Theatre, / Boston.
ProvenancePeabody Museum, Salem, MA; permanent loan to CHSI, 1958.
Historical AttributesThe stage, the eyepieces, and the mount of the eyepiece micrometer are made of hard rubber, often called "vulcanite." The 1877 catalogue gives one reason why users of this Student Microscope might prefer this material--cost: "A Huyghenian eyepiece in hard rubber cost $ 2.50, while the same in brass cost $4.00."
Charles-Louis Chevalier
Date: circa 1833
Accessories: 1 convertible objective, unmarked; 2 oculars; bull's eye condenser on jointed arm; 4 prepared slides, 3 glass slides; wrapped paper with pityriasis versicolor; specimen list on a card; flat case in form of sliding drawer; key.
Object number: 1071a
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
Newton & Company
Date: 1861-1890
Accessories: brush, 2 watch glasses, 37 slides
Object number: 1997-1-0718
Ernst Leitz (company)
Date: circa 1953
Accessories: objectives (4); eyepieces (8); oil bottle; dropper bottle; cover slips; case.
Object number: 2009-1-0011b
Ernst Leitz (company)
Date: circa 1953
Accessories: objectives (4); eyepieces (8); oil bottle; dropper bottle; cover slips; case.
Object number: 2009-1-0011a
Thomas Armstrong & Brother
Date: circa 1880
Accessories: 3 Pairs oculars; 3 objectives: 1/4, 1/2, 1"; pol. set; dark field cond.; substage diaphragm; 31 prep. slides; 2 live cells; screwdrivers, brushes, etc.; glass slides; mech. stage; Standing case.
Object number: 1268
Bausch & Lomb Optical Company
Date: circa 1877
Accessories: objectives(2); green leather box; oculars (2); green leather box; box of cover slides; standing case
Object number: 1293
Carl Zeiss, Optische Werkstätte, Jena
Date: circa 1902
Accessories: oculars (5); objectives (5); microplanar objectives (2); iris diaphragm; abbe condenser; collars and sleeves for photography; parts box; Leitz object micrometer (1308b); cardioid condenser (1308d); immersion oil bottle (1308c) ; Leitz erecting prism (1308e); standing case with key
Object number: 1308a
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
R. Bailey
Date: circa 1910
Accessories: 1 Objective: 1/2 "; 10 prepared glass slides; box;
Object number: 1333
Edmund Culpeper
Date: circa 1730
Accessories: 6 objectives for screw-barrel microscope; 3 objectives for compound body; 1 lieberkuhn; 1 opaque attachment; brass box; 2 ivory slides, 1 brass wet-cell slide; tweezer; ivory handle; glass specimen fish tube; storage box; instruction booklet by Culpeper (stored in instrument file).
Object number: 1173
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