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Microscope Museum Collection of antique microscopes and other
scientific instruments |
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Microscope
19 (assigned
to Deyrolle; c. 1900) The ‘Les fils d'Émile
Deyrolle’, which traded from 1831 to 2003, was originally founded by
Jean-Baptiste Deyrolle in Paris, France. He sold insects for natural history
collections, and the business was passed down in the family and expanded to
taxidermy and other natural history specimens. Four generations after opening
the business the heirs changed the name to "Les Fils d'Émile Deyrolle”
(they had taken over the business by 1896). At some point in history, they
traded also optical instruments such as microscopes and other scientific
equipment for the mounting, displaying, and maintenance and care of natural
history specimens and collections. Microscope 19 is a simple
compound microscope of French origin dated to c. 1900. The sliding tube
contains an eyepiece and a lens formed by two lenses set in brass rings
screwed onto each other (typical French design). The focusing is by manually
sliding the tube but versions where the focus is controlled by a knob are
also known. These types of microscopes appear in the catalogues of several
American retailers such as B. Kahn & Son (where the versions with and
without the knob-controlled focus were described respectively as the Challenge
and Amateur models) and Meyrowitz (known as the ACME microscope
model). An identical instrument, with a knob-controlled focus, is engraved in the catalogue Micrography
of July 1900, edited by the Parisian firm ‘Les Fils d'Émile Deyrolle’ (where
it was called microscope a renversement Modèle D) (Figure 1).
Other companies where identical microscopes are featured in their catalogues
are JH Steward, E. Vion, Latour and Derogy. Figure 1. Microscope
a renversement Modèle D as engraved in the catalogue Micrography of July 1900, edited
by the Parisian firm ‘Les Fils d'Émile Deyrolle’. References B Kahn & Son (c. 1890)
Illustrated catalogue of optical and meteorological instruments (5th edition) Emille Deyrolle (1900)
Catalogue de micrographie Le Compendium. Microscopes
"Amateur" et "Challenge" (http://www.lecompendium.com/dossier_optique_92_microscope_challenge/microscope_challenge.htm),
last accessed on 12.08.2020 LAST EDITED: 15.08.2020 |