Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

Microscope 278 (WJ Salmon; student microscope; c. 1860)

William John Salmon made and sold a wide variety of instruments, including microscopes. The firm traded from 105 Fenchurch Street, London (1838 – 1845), 254 Whitechapel Road, London (1846 – 1853), and 100 Fenchurch Street, London (1854 – 1862). With the designation Salmon & Co, the firm traded from 85 Fenchurch Street, London (1865 – 1877), and 2 Aldgate High Street, London (1878 – 1881). Microscope 278 has an unusual circular base engraved with ‘W. J. SALMON, 100 Fenchurch St., LONDON’, and should be dated to c. 1860. This instrument is a student’s microscope and a version of this instrument without rack and pinion focusing was featured in the 1854 edition of Beale’s book “The microscope and its application to clinical medicine” (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Salmon’s student’s microscope as featured in Beale’s book “The microscope and its application to clinical medicine”.