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Microscope Museum Collection of antique microscopes and other
scientific instruments |
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Microscopes 311 (Gowllands;
folding linen tester; mid-20th century)
The
firm Gowllands Ltd. (Croydon, England) was
originally founded by William Gowlland, Egbert Gowlland and Charles Septimus Gowlland in 1898. The firm was named William Gowlland Ltd. in 1908 and became Gowllands
Ltd in 1931. In 1998, the company was acquired by Medicamenta
of the Czech Republic. Microscope 311 is a folding linen tester, or
linen prover, engraved with ‘Gowllands’ and
‘Made in England’. The instrument should be dated from the mid-20th
century and would be used for counting threads in fabrics (the number of
threads per unit of length provides evidence of a higher quality of cloth).
These instruments fold flat for storing and transport and form a 'C' shape
when in use. The earliest forms have a simple standard opening on the base,
but later versions have an opening marked with calibrations of some kind.
These types of 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. |
