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Microscope Museum Collection of antique microscopes and other
scientific instruments |
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Microscope
145 (Carl
Zeiss; stand III B; c. 1915) In
1846, Carl Zeiss opened a workshop for precision mechanics and optical
instruments in Jena. He focused his activities more and more on microscope
production. Soon he was supplying not only the regional market but also
shipping his wares around the world. In 1866, Carl Zeiss recruited the
physicist Ernst Abbe to help him improve his microscopes. In 1877, Ernst Abbe
became a partner in the company. After the passing of Carl Zeiss in 1889,
Ernst Abbe created the Carl Zeiss Foundation, which would become the
company’s sole owner. Since the 1890s, Abbe’s findings and his style of
working have also been adopted in other fields of optics. This led to the
creation of all-new products, new business areas and rapid growth for the
company. In 1893, the first subsidiary was opened in London. Before the
outbreak of WWI, sites were established across the world, which then had to
be closed when war broke out. There were more ups and downs between then and
1945. Thereafter, the sites outside Germany have been developing in a stable
manner and today, Carl Zeiss AG is a holding company with several
subsidiaries. In addition to its sites in Oberkochen
and Jena, its main production sites are in Wetzlar
and Göttingen in Germany, Dublin and Minneapolis in the US, and Shanghai in
China. Microscope 145 is a Carl Zeiss stand III B microscope, with the serial
number 69488. This instrument is dated to c. 1915. Stand III microscopes were
large inclinable stands (Figure 1). The body frame, which carries the tube
and focussing mechanisms, is fashioned in the form of a handle for carrying
the microscope. According to the seller, this instrument was originally found
in a skip, together with other antique materials belonging to the University
of Sheffield. Figure
1.
Carl Zeiss
stand III B microscope as engraved in the company’s 1913 catalogue. |