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History of Science Museum

Optical Cabinet Containing Solar Microscope and Compound Microscope Parts and Accessories

Inventory Number 50324


Acknowledgement: © History of Science Museum, University of Oxford, inv.50324

Subject
Microscopy
Item type
Object
Provenance
Purchased from Dr. Reginald S. Clay in 1944.
Physical material
Brass
Wood
Fishskin
Velvet
Object type
Microscope
Dimensions
Height: 130mm Width: 130mm Weight: 5550g
Inventory No
50324

Description

Optical cabinet containing a solar microscope, compound microscope and accessories. The case (.1) contains a copper alloy solar microscope with Bonanni stage, rack and pinion focusing and a compound microscope on a copper alloy stand. The accessories for the solar microscope are a spring stage fitted with two lenses, a slider with six objective lenses and a dovetail slide with a sub stage condenser (.2). Other accessories include six objective lenses(.3); an ivory talc box (.4);, three Lieberkühn's, one of which sits in a Cuff Lieberkühn carrier (.5); a cone condenser (.6); a cruciform stage with a pinhole, a keyhole slot and two spring clips for glass phials (.7); a spring stage (.8); a live box (.9); a fishplate (.10); two threaded copper alloy collars (.11); copper alloy forceps (.12); stage forceps (.13); a bull's-eye lens on a copper alloy pin (.14); a concave mirror in a horseshoe mount (.15), four ivory sliders (.16), two low power lenses in copper alloy collars (.19) and two square glass slides (.20). In a compartment underneath the sliders there are three glass phials that sit inside one another, inside innermost phial is a wire with a coiled end for cleaning the phials, a cork and a small ivory cylinder (.17). The largest and second largest phials have cotton wool padding at their bases. The softwood case is covered in black fish skin and lined with green velvet and also contains the key (.18).