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Microscope Museum Collection of antique microscopes and other
scientific instruments |
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Microscope
286 (W Watson
& Sons Ltd; Edinburgh stand H microscope; 1920s)
W.
Watson & Sons were opticians and camera makers trading
from London and Edinburgh. The company was originally founded in 1837 by William
Watson at 71 City Road, and the business continued at this address until
1861, when it moved to 313 High Holborn. In 1867, the name was changed to W.
Watson & Son. In 1882, the name was changed to W. Watson &
Sons. In 1900 the company acquired the John Browning and Co., and in 1908
the firm became W. Watson & Sons Ltd. In 1929 they published an
advert in the British Industries Fair Catalogue as an Optical, Scientific and
Photographic Exhibit, highlighting the manufacture of microscopes for
medical, industrial and educational purposes. Into the 1950s, the company
changed their address to 25 West End Lane, Barnet, Hertfordshire, where they
stayed until the late 1960s. In 1957 the company was acquired by Pye of
Cambridge and ten years later, taken over by Philips. By 1970 the manufacture
of microscopes was over. Microscope 286 is a Watson’s Edinburgh stand H
(Figure 1). The Edinburgh stand was apparently introduced in 1887 with the
advice of Alexander Edington, a lecturer on bacteriology at the University of
Edinburgh. The various Edinburgh stands were at first labelled in the
catalogues only by description, then during 1889 by numbers 1,2,3, and 4, and
after 1890 by letters. The letters A, B, C and D replaced the 1, 2, 3, and 4.
In 1892, came the E, F, G and H stands, which were identical to the first
four except for having a tripod foot instead of the horseshoe foot. Edinburgh
models continued to be manufactured until as late as 1945 but by 1938 the
microscope was all black with the controls chrome plated. The instrument is
labelled with ‘W. Watson & Sons Ltd, 313 High Holborn, London’ and ‘H
Edin Stud’. There is no serial number engraved on the microscope, but the
respective wooden box states the serial number 43133, allowing to date the
instrument to the late 1920s.
Figure
1.
Watson’s Edinburgh stand H microscope as engraved in the 1930s 36th edition
of the Watson catalogue. References W. Watson and Sons (https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/W._Watson_and_Sons), last accessed on
12.08.2020 EDINBURGH MODEL H
MICROSCOPE (https://www.microscope-antiques.com/edinburgH.html), last accessed on
19.08.2020 EDINBURGH MODEL B
MICROSCOPE (https://www.microscope-antiques.com/edinburghB.html), last accessed on
19.08.2020 Watson Edinburgh
Stand H Microscope (http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjul06/iw-watson.html), last accessed on
19.08.2020 The Edinburgh Student
microscope Model H. c. 1909 (http://www.antique-microscopes.com/photos/watson_ed.htm), last accessed on
19.08.2020 LAST
EDITED: 02.10.2022 |
