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Microscope Museum Collection of antique microscopes and other
scientific instruments |
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Microscope
117 (Vickers; Patholette II microscope; 1970s)
The scientific instrument maker T. Cooke & Sons (1837 – 1922) was
founded by Thomas Cooke in York in 1837. Thomas Cooke built his own factory
on Bishophill, York, in 1855, producing a great
range of spectacles, telescopes and other items. By the turn of the century
defence products for the home market had also become an important field of
the company. In 1915 the control of Cooke's was acquired by Vickers Ltd., an
engineering firm of shipbuilding and aircraft, who had long had an interest
in the military side of Cooke products. Cooke’s continued to expand in York
and in 1922 they merged with the long-established instrument-making firm of
Troughton & Simms of London (1824-1922). The new firm became Cooke,
Troughton & Simms and in 1924 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of
Vickers. After the war microscopes, survey equipment and engineers' measuring
instruments became the main products. In 1963, following the acquisition of
the C. Baker Ltd microscope factory, the new company of Vickers Instruments
was formed. This company continued for many years, mainly selling
microscopes, surveying instruments and micro measurement apparatus. In 1989
the business was sold to Bio-Rad Micromeasurements,
an American company based in California, apart from the defence products,
which were acquired by British Aerospace. Microscope 117 is a Vickers Patholette II model dated from the 1970s (Figure 1). In
its days this was probably the microscope of choice for education and schools
and there are many used examples. The microscope came with its original
purple plastic 'dome' cover (which are rarely seen today as these tended to
be easily broken).
Figure 1. Vickers
Patholette II microscope as featured in a 1968
Townson & Mercer’s catalogue References The Vickers Patholette Microscope (http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artdec01/vickers.html), last accessed on
21.08.2020 Vickers Instruments (https://www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/holdings/what-we-hold/businesses/vickers-instruments/), last accessed on
21.08.2020 |
