drum compound microscope
Datecirca 1833
Inventory Number1071a
ClassificationMicroscope
Subject
Maker
Charles-Louis Chevalier
1804 - 1859
Associate Name
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr
1809 - 1894
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Dimensionsunassembled microscope: 22.5 × 6.6 × 5 cm (8 7/8 × 2 5/8 × 1 15/16 in.)
case: 8.5 × 25.7 × 11.4 cm (3 3/8 × 10 1/8 × 4 1/2 in.)
box: 5.1 × 31.1 × 14 cm (2 × 12 1/4 × 5 1/2 in.)
case: 8.5 × 25.7 × 11.4 cm (3 3/8 × 10 1/8 × 4 1/2 in.)
box: 5.1 × 31.1 × 14 cm (2 × 12 1/4 × 5 1/2 in.)
Material
Accessories1 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.
DescriptionThis brass drum microscope is of the French pattern. 1071a includes the microscope, case, and accessories. 1071b is the replacement base.
The microscope was originally designed to be mounted on top of its case. The brass threaded socket is missing, but three screws remain around the hollowed out wood. A replacement square base (1071b) of mahogany is with the instrument, but lacks the threaded brass fitting as well. It does not store inside the case.
The substage mirror is held in a brass drum with an aperture to permit light to reach the mirror. The mirror is tilted by means of a knob on the outside of the drum. On top of the drum is a rectangular stage. A diaphragm wheel is beneath the stage. Above the stage is a sleeve that carries the optical tube. Focusing is by means of rack and pinion.
The fitted case is in the form of a drawer. There is an iron key to pull the drawer out. There is an inner wood cover. The top of the case has a hollowed
Accessories include 1 convertible objective, 2 eyepieces, a bull's eye condenser on a jointed arm; 3 plain glass slides; and 4 prepared slides with specimen labels in French cursive. Three of the prepared slides are wrapped in green paper, two have printed labels of Chevalier. The fourth is in yellow paper and is a half slide. There is also a little card with minute cursive writing listing a dozen specimens in French. A bit of wrapped paper claims to hold "vegetable paracites / Pityriasis Versicolor-"
There is an original bill from Charles Chevalier to Dr. Jonathan Mason Warren for a simple microscope held in a glass frame with this instrument. (See history field for more information.)
The microscope was originally designed to be mounted on top of its case. The brass threaded socket is missing, but three screws remain around the hollowed out wood. A replacement square base (1071b) of mahogany is with the instrument, but lacks the threaded brass fitting as well. It does not store inside the case.
The substage mirror is held in a brass drum with an aperture to permit light to reach the mirror. The mirror is tilted by means of a knob on the outside of the drum. On top of the drum is a rectangular stage. A diaphragm wheel is beneath the stage. Above the stage is a sleeve that carries the optical tube. Focusing is by means of rack and pinion.
The fitted case is in the form of a drawer. There is an iron key to pull the drawer out. There is an inner wood cover. The top of the case has a hollowed
Accessories include 1 convertible objective, 2 eyepieces, a bull's eye condenser on a jointed arm; 3 plain glass slides; and 4 prepared slides with specimen labels in French cursive. Three of the prepared slides are wrapped in green paper, two have printed labels of Chevalier. The fourth is in yellow paper and is a half slide. There is also a little card with minute cursive writing listing a dozen specimens in French. A bit of wrapped paper claims to hold "vegetable paracites / Pityriasis Versicolor-"
There is an original bill from Charles Chevalier to Dr. Jonathan Mason Warren for a simple microscope held in a glass frame with this instrument. (See history field for more information.)
Signedengraved in script on tube: Charles Chevalier / Ingénieur Opticien Breveté / Palais Royal 163 / à Paris.
printed in cursive on 2 prepared slides: Charles Chevalier / Palais Royal
on invoice / trade card, printed: FABRIQUE SPÉCIALE / DE / MICROSCOPES ACHROMATIQUES, / Palais-Royal, no 163, Galerie-Valois; Et rue Neuve-des-Bons-Enfans, no 1, à Paris. / CHARLES CHEVALIER, / [see scan for rest of text]
signed in ink on invoice: Charles Chevalier
Curatorial RemarksThe bill from Chevalier to Dr. Warren, December 28, 1833 is stored in the instrument's file.
ProvenanceDr. Jonathan Mason Warren, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, purchased in Paris, c. 1833; Dr. John Collins Warren, Harvard Medical School, c. 1867-1900; gift to Ernst-Lewis Collection of Microscopes (inv. no. 71), Harvard Medical School., 1900.
Historical AttributesAccording to Dr. Ernst, this instrument was presented to the microscope collection by Dr. J. Collins Warren (1842-1927) on March 19, 1900.
A note in ink on the underside of the replacement base reads, "71 Presented by / Dr. J. Collins Warren. / Presumably bought in Paris / by Dr. J. Mason Warren, but / not the simple Chevalier billed / to him in 1832. He was in Paris in '33-'34." [NB. 1832 is a misreading of 1833 on the bill. See below.]
Dr. Lewis noted: "Chevalier--Des Microscopes et de leur Usage--Paris 1839, figures 'un petit microscope dioptrique' (pl. 3, fig 6) ascribing the pattern to Fraunhofer in 1816. 'They sell many of these microscopes for there are some who place low price above everything,' p. 100."
With this microscope is a bill from Charles Chevalier to Dr. Warren, dated December 28, 1833 for "1 Microscope simple" for 35 francs. The address on the bill--Place et Hôtel de l'Odéon No. 6--was that of Dr. J. Mason Warren (1811-1867) in Paris at the time. Since the bill refers to a strictly "simple" microscope, it cannot be the charge for this compound drum microscope. It could be an order for the simple Chevalier microscope brought later from Paris in 1835 by Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, a close friend of Dr. Warren."
French
Date: circa 1850
Accessories: ocular; objective; 2 slides (French); stage forceps; dissecting needle; case.
Object number: 1055
Charles-Louis Chevalier
Date: circa 1835
Accessories: 2 oculars; 1 convertible objective: "1, 2, 3"; 3 simple objectives marked 1, 3, 6 ; 1 small brass tweezers; stage bull's eye condenser; diaphragm wheel; needle with ebony handle; 3 prepared slides & 7 plain glass slides (18 x 65 mm); brass stage micrometer; small mahogany block with mounting ring; case.
Object number: 1006
Georges Oberhaeuser
Date: 1840-1850
Accessories: 1 convertible objective; 1 eyepiece; 7 glass slides; 10 prepared slides labeled in French; 2 dissecting needles; trough; quartz; cover slip; box.
Object number: 1153
French
Date: 1850-1875
Accessories: 1 ocular; 3 objectives: 1, 2, 3; 3 prepared slides; 1 glass slide; forceps; oval plate of glass ; case
Object number: 1119
English
Date: 1850-1890
Accessories: ocular; objective; tweezers; upholstery needle; glass slides (2); 1 prepared slide; flower fragment in glass bottle; envelope; flat case.
Object number: 1332
Friedrich Wilhelm Schiek
Date: circa 1878
Accessories: eyepieces (2): 0, 1; objective lenses (4): 2, 4, 5, 7; broken glass slide; prepared slides (2); flat case
Object number: 1990-2-0007
Breton Frères
Date: circa 1850
Accessories: 6 convertible objectives; 4 nosepieces, one with polarizer; 4 oculars; black / white disk; spare round stage with offset diaphragm; camera lucida; light polarizing insert; compressorium by Chevalier; fish trough; 2 prepared slides; 3 cuvettes; brass box specimen holder with compressed slides and collar to attach to microscope; flat case.
Object number: 1274
Nachet et Fils (I)
Date: 1862
Accessories: 1 cup diaphragm, 1 diffuser; camera lucida; stage and eyepiece micrometers; liquid trough; 3 dissecting knives; prepared slides in box (1157d); 3 prepared slides loose; plain slides; cover glasses; bull's eye on jointed arm(1157e); Amici's illuminator prism with stand (1157f); compressorium (1157g); case with parts box (1157c).
Object number: 1157c
Matthew Loft
Date: 1730-1747
Accessories: ocular (1); objectives (6); fish plate; substage cone diaphragm; round spring slide holder; stage forceps; bull's eye condenser; wet specimen glass cup; rotating slide speciment holder with black and white disks; small black and white disks as bead on cord; brass spring; spare collar from an ocular; pyramidal box.
Object number: 1242
W. & S. Jones
Date: circa 1795
Accessories: rotating disc with 6 objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; objectives with Lieberkuhn reflectors (2); Lieberkuhn attachment; conical diaphragm, stage forceps with calipers; fish plate; silk ribbon; tweezers; Bonanni spring stage; prepared ivory slides (7), standing case.
Object number: 1041
Camille Sébastien Nachet
Date: 1845-1850
Accessories: oculars (2): unmarked; objectives (7) : ?, 1(?), 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 in fitted wood box (1081b); mechanical stage (1081c); adjustable bull's eye; concave substage mirror; diaphragm wheel; specimen tray; black-white disk; case.
Object number: 1081a