Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

 

    

Microscope 368 (W Watson & Sons; low-power stereo dissecting microscope; c. 1937)

 

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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, was taken over by Philips. By 1970 the manufacture of microscopes was over. Microscope 368 is a Watson’s low power binocular dissecting microscope, labelled with “W. Watson & Sons, Ltd, London”. The instrument has the serial number 64003 and is dated to c. 1937. The microscope has its accessory stage as engraved in the Watson’s 36th edition catalogue (Figure 1). This microscope was described as “… designed to stand up to laboratory treatment in the hands of students” and was used for demonstration purposes, being more robust that the original Greenough patterns. The instrument contains an accessory simple stage fitting allowing the use of transmitted light. The stage is made in such a way that it can be slid into the dovetails provided for the glass stage originally supplied with the microscope.

Note: this instrument was kindly donated by Dave Levell (Pembrokeshire, Wales) in May 2023.

 

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Figure 1. Watson’s low power binocular dissecting microscope (left) and accessory stage fitting (right), as engraved in the company’s 36th edition catalogue.