Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

Microscope 350 (Charles Baker; hardness tester Brinell microscope; mid-20^th century)

The business of Baker was founded in London in about 1765, Charles Baker, who was born in 1820, giving his name to the company from about 1851. When Charles Baker died in 1894 the firm continued under the same name but run by the Curties family until it became, in 1936, Charles Baker & Co. and subsequently, sometime in the 1940s, C. Baker Ltd. The firm’s address mostly given was 244 High Holborn, London (but sometimes 243 and 245, sometimes in combination). The firm produced optical and surgical instruments. In 1963, Vickers acquired the C Baker Ltd microscope factory and a new company called Vickers Instruments was formed. Microscope 350 is labelled with “C. BAKER, LONDON” and the serial number 2563. This instrument would be used to measure the hardness of metals and was labelled as Baker’s Brinell microscope (Figure 1).

Note: this instrument was kindly donated by Dave Levell (Pembrokeshire, Wales) in May 2023.

Figure 1. Baker’s Brinell microscope as featured in a 1960 Gallenkamp’s catalogue.