Compound Microscope with Accessories in Case, by Hugh Powell, London, 1840

The microscope stands on a flat tripod foot inscribed with the manufacturer's name. A cylindrical pillar supports the limb on a compass joint. The complex mechanical stage is mounted at the top of the limb. four mill-edged screws control fine and coarse positioning of the stage plate which has two pinholes for accessories. A spring stage, to hold specimens, is set on the stage plate on a rotating mounting. A condenser is attached to the underside of the stage and a sliding sleeve on the lower end of the limb supports the plano-concave mirror. A triple mill-edged screw on the side of the limb extends a bar, with a hexagonal cross section, from the top of the limb. An arm screwed to the bar has a ring at each end. Loosening the screw allows the arm to pivot so either end is held over the stage. One ring can hold simple lenses and the other has an internal thread to take the body tube (.1).

Microscope is stored in a mahogany case with internal supports and four drawers (.26). The accessories comprise, two simple stages (.2), a spring stage for glass phials (.3), a large fishplate with a glass window (.4), two copper alloy tubes (.5), a superstage lens on an articulated arm (.6), two polarizers (.7), a set of tweezers (.8), two objectives with Lieberkühn and paper labels dated 1840, in cans (.9), three eyepieces (.10), four objectives in cans (.11), three glass slides (.12), two small mirrors mounted on copper alloy collars (.13), six boxes of coverslips (.14), a micrometer (.15), four specimen mounts (.16), three simple lenses (.17), set of stage forceps and stage tweezers (.18), four eyecups (.19), three dark wells (.20), an aperture wheel with four different sized apertures (.22), a dove tail shaped handle (.23), a copper alloy ring collar (.24), a wooden disc with black surround (.25).

Also present is a collection of papers, these consist of: A letter containing samples of peppercorns, a glass slide wrapped in paper with a pencil diagram of slide, an envelope containing ten thin glass discs, a table of focus measurements, a list of micrometer measurements, a letter addressed to MR Nelson from 1898 detailing refurbishment of microscope, a list of focus powers of objectives, four itemised receipts for microscope and accessories, three trade cards from Powell and Lealand, a paper disc with a black ink stain, a list of stage micrometer measurements dated 1840, printed minutes of a meeting of the 'Senate' of the university of London dated March 9th 1839, a note recording cost of microscope as £63 (.21)