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Microscope Museum Collection of antique microscopes and other
scientific instruments |
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Microscope
203 (Nachet;
Petit modèle; c. 1862) Camille
Sébastien Nachet (1799 – 1881) started by working with Charles Chevalier and
set up his own business in 1839. At that time, Chevalier, Oberhauser and
Nachet were the main producers of microscopes in Paris. In the late 1850s,
Nachet was joined by his son, Jean Alfred Nachet (1831-1908), who went by the
name of Alfred. The firm was renamed Nachet et Fils around 1862, when Alfred
was made a partner. Nachet was succeeded by his son, who named the firm ‘A
Nachet’ from about 1880 to about 1890, when it became ‘Nachet et Fils’ once
more when Alfred's son joined the partnership. By 1898 Nachet had taken over
Hartnack and Prazmowski and also ‘Bezu, Hausser et cie’. The firm traded from
Rue Serpente, Paris (1839 – 1862), Rue Séverin, Paris (1862 until after WW2),
and Rue Chaptal 106, Levallois-Perret (1970s). Microscope 203 is engraved
with ‘Nachet et Fils, Rue Serpente 16, Paris’ and should be dated to c. 1862.
This microscope was known as the Nachet’s petit model. These microscopes sit
on a uniquely shaped solid foot that arises on a short pillar to a solid
inclination joint. The substage mirror is gimballed to the end of a tube
which slides inside the fixed tailpiece. The substage features a slide for
carrying two different apertures (that are also absent in this instrument).
The stage provides a sliding support for the specimen slide (also absent) and
rides on rails which ride in slots in the stage. Coarse focus is by
push-pull, fine focus by continental screw. A bullseye condenser would attach
to the optical tube via a dovetail fitting. The petit modèle was pictured in
many of the Nachet catalogues over the years, and its design changed slightly
(Figure 1). Over the years, as a trend, the sliding pair of substage
apertures was replaced with a wheel of apertures and the substage mirror
became articulated. The length of the bullseye articulating arm was also
shortened and the stage changed to simple stage clips. The foot also changed
the shape for a more usual horseshoe. Figure 1. Nachet’s petit modèle microscope as
pictured in the firm’s catalogues over the years. References 'PETIT MODÈLE': c. 1860 'NACHET ET
FILS, A PARIS’ (https://www.microscope-antiques.com/nachet.html), last accessed on 03.02.2021 Nachet Opticien, rue Serpente 16,
Paris, Small model microscope, c.1853 (http://www.antique-microscopes.com/photos/nachet_petit.htm), last accessed on 03.02.2021 Microscope Nachet "petit modèle
inclinable" (Paris, 1863-1872) (http://www.igm.cnr.it/pagine-personali/maga/maga-microscopes/nachet/), last accessed on 03.02.2021 Microscope Nachet et Fils "petit
modèle droit" (http://www.lecompendium.com/dossier_optique_207_microscope_nachet_petit_modele/microscope_nachet_petit_modele.htm), last accessed on 03.02.2021 LAST
EDITED: 31.08.2021 |