Large antique brass binocular microscope with 3 objectives, accessories, boxed.

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Seller: iancw ✉️ (2,353) 100%, Location: Huddersfield, GB, Ships to: WORLDWIDE, Item: 322561129344 Large antique brass binocular microscope with 3 objectives, accessories, boxed..

Impressive antique brass binocular microscope, with three objectives and accessories, boxed.  Graduated rotating stage, rotating and centring substage, three selenite tint plate unit plus other polar accessories.

See text for more images than the free set allowed in header. Updated June 24th with images of each objective condition, see end. Aspects of condition also added to main text, e.g. the good condition of all rack and pinions.

 

    An opportunity to acquire an impressive antique microscope of likely the second half of the 19th century with a range of objectives, eyepieces and accessories. It has a sophisticated centring and rotating substage. The large images below form part of the description for condition and features. The stand and accessories have no maker's name. With the microscope vertical on its plinth with two eyepieces fitted and focus fully down it is ca. 20 inches high. The box is 21 inches tall plus handle.

    I suspect that the very fine stage is by another maker than the stand and at some time in its life has been professionally retrofitted. The brass colour looks a little different to the stand and seems odd that the rotation available now, i.e. 18 degrees either side from centre is a lot less than the 180 degree graduation range of the collar (the design of the stage controls limit the rotation when they encroach on the limb). Another indication of retro fitting possibly of some items in its life, is that the optical axis of the mono tube of the bino' head doesn't quite match the substage axis centre. Accurate centration would be required if objectives were being used substage as a condenser (common in Victorian times for higher powered objectives) but not key for the low to mid powers included with the stand where the numerical aperture of the concave mirror suffices.

A rotating centring substage is fitted. Coarse and fine focus knobs. Geared graduating rotating stage.

        Shown set up using an objective as a condenser as it was designed to be used.

        All the mechanics work well and where necessary has been serviced with modern Nye lubricants. There's no obvious stripped teeth on the rack and pinions of the bino' head (one tooth is a little worn on bino' head rack), coarse focus, mechanical stage or substage focus. As is often seen, there's a split in each of the two collars on right hand side of coarse focus axle where it fixes on the limb. This has no effect on use as limb pivot is still very firm and smooth. Plano-concave mirror swinging and double hinged. Some marks to both sides but overall good and very usable. Wenham prism in binocular head in good condition. Slides partly out for monocular use. Recommended mode to use is mono, the bino' vision of those days is not to modern fatigue free collimated standards!

Mahogany box. Lock undamaged for both main box and for accessories, but keys for neither. The fitted accessory case enclosed.

    Fitted accessory case with a variety of accessories. Two pairs of bino' eyepieces, and singles of higher power eyepieces, one of the latter has an adjustable fine pointer. Mid-centre not shown in close-up below is a drawing attachment for the eyepiece, a glass plate a 45 degrees to optical axis. Paraboloid condenser, small chip on periphery. Stage support for incident light mirror.

    Left. Triple nosepiece. Right. Closed accessory box.

       

    Three unnamed objectives, 3, 1.5 and 2/3rd inch. RMS male threads. On the typical 10 inch tube of the time these have native mags of ca. 3.5X, 6.5X and 15X. Each canister has the focal length on lid and on base. Update, see end for condition.

Substage darkwell support (left) with two dark wells (right). One sided concave mirror to fit on stage for incident work.

        Left. Polarising accessories. Large clear Nicol polariser for substage. Nosepiece analyser with knob for rotating in sit u. Tourmaline plate eyepiece accessory, supplied as an alternative to nosepiece analyser. Right. Swing-in selenite plates for the substage, 1/4, 3/4 and 9/4 lambda, with PA positive axis for each shown. This allowed ¼ to 3¼ lambda retardation to be set in ¼ increments by aligning the PA's (additive) or placing one or more at right angles (subtractive). To give the primary and complementary colours with the Nicol prisms as described and colours tabulated in Richard Beck's 'Achromatic Microscopes'.

Part rotating stage via rack and pinion on the right. Right hand main coarse focus spindle has slight bend in past as shown. Centring substage with own rack and pinion for full rotation. A fitting is supplied with RMS thread to allow an objective to be used as condenser, as shown in header image.

Stage close up with head removed. Sprung plates hold a slide either side. A fine micrometer scale for slide movement is seen bottom right.

Left. Close up of the x and y micrometer scales, 1 inch subdivided. Right. Sturdy mount for a stage condenser (not included) behind limb.

Old split in rear panel has had a modern repair with wood filler. Just visible third way along top back panel and ca. third of length. Wear and patina as expected of its age, no signs of water damage. Sturdy brass handle.

Objectives inspected by stereo microscope using both incident and transmitted illumination. A rather unforgiving inspection for optics over 120 years old but allow potential bidders to judge condition. The objective elements all look correctly seated. Front element surfaces of each in good condition. Some element groups have the expected typical signs of aging as described. 

Shipping: The seller is a microscope enthusiast and user (thinning out collection as no space) with experience of shipping delicate microscopes. The microscope head, substage and mirror will be removed. The optical accessories are secure in the accessory box but this will be packaged outside of the stand box, packed flat and not vertically on the delicate internal rail. 

UK £14. Europe £25. USA/Canada £79. Can only ship to these countries despite the now eBay standard option declared of generic international shipping.

Note that potential buyers outside of the EU may incur local customs and taxes to import.

  • Material: Brass
  • Sub-Type: Binoculars

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