Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

Microscope 519 (unknown maker; Double drum microscope; late 19^th century)

Microscope 519 is an unusual large drum-like microscope. The instrument should be dated to the late 19^th century and the maker is unknown. Nevertheless, an identical microscope was described in the 1885 volume of the Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society (Figure 1). Here, this instrument was identified as a Double Drum Microscope, and was described as “In this form, the peculiarity is found of two drums, the one serving as the base of the microscope, and the other as the support of the socket for the sliding body-tube. This latter application of the drum has no raison-d'étre that we can discover, adding nothing to the convenience or stability of the instrument”. The instrument has its original wooden box.

Figure 1. Illustration of a large drum-style microscope as featured in the 1885 volume of the Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society.