Tolles type B, compound microscope
Datecirca 1870
Inventory Number1016a
ClassificationMicroscope
Subject
Maker
Boston Optical Works
fl. 1867 - 1895
Maker
Robert B. Tolles
1823 - 1883
User
Jeffries Wyman
1814 - 1874
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Dimensionsmicroscope: 41 × 24.2 × 16.7 cm (16 1/8 × 9 1/2 × 6 9/16 in.)
Material
Accessories3 Tolles objectives: 1 with 3 fronts; empty can 8/10; 5 Tolles oculars 34 mm dia.: 2 all solid, 2 solid field l. & single eye lens, 1 std.; centerable condenser with diaphragm wheel; mech. stage; side illuminator prism; cabinet.
Description1016a is a large, brass Tolles microscope, with stand B design. Curvaceous V-shaped base with two turned upright pillars to hinge joint. Carved arm to block with rack and pinion coarse focus. Body tube and draw tube are brass. Draw tube is calibrated. Fine focus is by means of a screw on the front of the tube that adjusts a lever on the inner tube holding the objective.
The circular stage rotates and is divided 0-90 twice around the full 360 degrees. On top of this is an elaborate, nickel-plated mechanical stage with graduated motion in x-y directions. The substage assembly includes a condenser with a rotating diaphragm wheel. It is raised and lowered by rack and pinion on a post below the stage. Further down on the post, a sleeve carries an articulated arm to which is attached a plano-concave mirror.
Part of the kit, but catlogued separately are:
1016b: the case, parts' boxes, objectives, and oculars
1016c: a side illumination prism
and three specialized objectives:
1016d: Tolles opaque specimen objective
1016e: Tolles side illumination objective
1016f: Tolles polarizing objective
See the separate inventory records for more details.
The circular stage rotates and is divided 0-90 twice around the full 360 degrees. On top of this is an elaborate, nickel-plated mechanical stage with graduated motion in x-y directions. The substage assembly includes a condenser with a rotating diaphragm wheel. It is raised and lowered by rack and pinion on a post below the stage. Further down on the post, a sleeve carries an articulated arm to which is attached a plano-concave mirror.
Part of the kit, but catlogued separately are:
1016b: the case, parts' boxes, objectives, and oculars
1016c: a side illumination prism
and three specialized objectives:
1016d: Tolles opaque specimen objective
1016e: Tolles side illumination objective
1016f: Tolles polarizing objective
See the separate inventory records for more details.
In Collection(s)
SignedEngraved on tube front: Boston / Optical Works / TOLLES
Inscribedon back of tube: B / No. 22
stamped on bottom of stage: 22
Curatorial RemarksThree specialized objectives in this microscope kit have stickers from Mr. Wheatland labeling them 1016d, 1016e, and 1016f. They have received separate entries because of their unusual nature.
No other parts of the kit were labeled 1016a, b, or c. Presumably 1016a was the microscope; 1016b might have been the fitted case and its parts' boxes filled with objectives and oculars; and 1016c could have been the side illumination prism (whose underside is scratched "1016 / e", a number re-used by Wheatland for an objective).
We have used this presumption in assigning the inventory numbers.
ProvenanceOwned and used by Professor Jeffries Wyman, Professor of Anatomy and Curator of the Peabody Museum at Harvard University. Given by Mary M. Wyman, daughter of Dr. Jeffries Wyman, to Professor Alpheous Hyatt for the Boston Society of Natural History in October 1899. Presented by Prof. Alpheous Hyatt, Oct. 6, 1900, to Dr. Ernst. Part of Ernst-Lewis Collection of Microscopes (inv. no. 16), Harvard Medical School, 1900.
Historical AttributesNote from Dr. Lewis: "Presented by Prof. Alpheus Hyatt, Oct. 6, 1900. Belonged originally to Professor Jeffries Wyman. The Boston Optical Works became solely owned by Tolles sometime between 1867 and 1871. This microscope appears to be from this period."
Boston Optical Works
Date: circa 1870
Accessories: 3 Tolles objectives: 1 with 3 fronts; empty can 8/10; 5 Tolles oculars 34 mm dia.: 2 all solid, 2 solid field l. & single eye lens, 1 std.; blue filter; case; key. Also see 1016a: microscope with centerable condenser with diaphragm wheel; and mechanical stage. 1016c: side illumination prism. 1016d, e, f: specialized Tolles objectives.
Object number: 1016b
Boston Optical Works
Date: 1860-1890
Accessories: Three dated Tolles objectives: 1/2" Nov. 18, 1860, 1/4" Dec. 23, 1877, 1/5" Oct. 28, 1868; 1 high power solid eyepiece, 1 low power normal eyepiece; polarizer; substage mirror; mechanical stage, standing case.
Object number: 1066
Boston Optical Works
Date: 1879
Object number: 1016d
Boston Optical Works
Date: circa 1870
Object number: 1016c
R. B. Tolles and C. E. Grunow
Date: circa 1862
Accessories: Tolles objective marked 4" on case but scratched 1 1/2 on barrel, dated 5/20/1873; Tolles solid ocular 34 mm diameter.
Object number: 1128
Robert B. Tolles
Date: circa 1874
Accessories: 3 Objectives: Tolles (?) with front element missing, no date; Leitz 1/12 oel imm., tubus 160 mm; Tolles 1/6" 35 deg., no date; 4 Tolles oculars 24.5 mm dia.; condensor w. iris; diaphragm wheel; substage mirror w. opt. stand; Nichol's micr.; case. camera luc Abbe condensor; diaphragm wheel; separate stand f. substage mirror; standing case.
Object number: 1305
Robert B. Tolles
Date: circa 1875
Accessories: 2 Tolles objectives: 1/8" dated 6/27/1866; 1/8" 120 deg. dated 3/7/1869, can marked: Immersion, also scratched: C. X. D. 1902; empty can for Tolles 1/4", now on inverted Tolles Nr. 1203; 2 oculars, no name, not solid, 24.5 mm dia.; Standing case.
Object number: 1127
Robert B. Tolles
Date: 1860-1874
Object number: 1045a-v
Robert B. Tolles
Date: circa 1870
Accessories: One objective: Tolles 1/10 immersion, 180 air angle, dated 8/20/1874, with canister (7 others are now in 1214a); 2 pairs of oculars; magnifier on base marked: J. R. W. /P...?, ME, ; polarizer; drawing prism; diaphragm disc; case.
Object number: 1214
