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Microscope Museum Collection of antique microscopes and other
scientific instruments |
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Microscope 237 (unassigned maker; folding linen tester; late 19th
century to the early 20th century)
Microscope 237 is a linen tester, or linen prover, and should be dated
from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. This
instrument would be used for counting threads in fabrics (the number of
threads per unit of length provides evidence of a higher quality of cloth).
The earliest forms have a simple standard opening on the base (like
microscopes 237), but later versions have this opening marked with
calibrations of some kind. Microscope 237 is a folding linen tester, and the
instrument fold flat for storing and transport and forms a 'C' shape when in
use. These linen testers have been made and sold by many companies since at
least the early 19th century and were rarely signed by their makers or
retailers (for a signed folding linen tester see microscope 236 in this
collection) (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Folding linen testers engraved in the
catalogues of several companies: (A) Palmer (1840); (B) Negretti and Zambra
(1859); (C, D) William McAllister (1867); (E, F) Negretti and Zambra (1870s e
1885); (G) James Queen (1870 and 1872); (H) Ernest Goldbacher (1879); (I) B.
Kahn & Son (c. 1890); (J) Bausch and Lomb (1892); (K) Arthur Thomas
(1914); (L) Bausch and Lomb (1914); (M) A. Clarkson & Co (1920s); (N)
Emille Deyrolle (1931); and (O, P, Q) Gallenkamp (c. 1939) References LINEN
TESTERS (OR LINEN PROVERS), AND THREAD-COUNTING MICROSCOPES: 19TH AND 20TH
CENTURY (c. 1840- c. 1950) (https://www.microscope-antiques.com/linen.html), last accessed on 22.01.2022 FOLDING
LINEN PROVER MICROSCOPES: 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY (https://www.microscope-antiques.com/foldingprovers.html), last accessed on 22.01.2022 PILLAR TYPE
LINEN PROVER MICROSCOPE: 19TH CENTURY (https://www.microscope-antiques.com/pillarprovers.html#neill), last accessed on 22.01.2022 LAST
EDITED: 22.01.2022 |
