Solar Microscope with Accessories in Case, by Aide, Edinburgh, 1825-50

The instrument's copper alloy body screws into the back plate. On the rear of the copper alloy plate is a rectangular mirror and two milled knobs on the front of the plate adjust the position and angle of the mirror. The slide carrier screws onto the other end of the body tube. It consists of an outer cylinder with two rectangular sections cut away and a thread in the end to take the projection lens. There is also a slot to take a copper alloy slide with six objective lenses. A rack and pinion, for focusing, extends the outer cylinder from an inner cylinder that holds the stage and a third, spring mounted, cylinder. The stage is two disks that are pushed together by the spring cylinder. A dovetail slot in the stage takes substage condensing lenses. The accessories are two shutter screws, an objective with Lieberkühn, four copper alloy sliders, a copper alloy key, a talc box, two bars with two countersunk holes on each and a threaded hole, in the centre, that takes the shutter screws, with four steel screws that are contained in a Bryant & May's matchbox. The fitted wooden case is mahogany and has a hinged lid with a locking mechanism. The case also contains a loose screw that sits next to the copper alloy key.