Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

 

      

Microscope 437 (Spencer; convertible binocular microscope No. 58; 1920s)

 

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Charles Achilles Spencer was the first successful American maker of microscopes, publishing his first catalogue in 1838.  Later, in 1865, he began operating as C.A. Spencer & Sons.  In 1873 Spencer and his sons moved from the original shop in Canastota, New York to Geneva, New York. After Charles death in 1881 the business was carried on by his son Herbert, who, after a time moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and then, in 1890, to Buffalo, New York, where the company remained. Between 1890 and 1895 the company operated by the name of Spencer & Smith. The Spencer Company was incorporated in 1895, using the name Spencer Lens Company up into the 1940's. American Optical bought the Spencer Lens Company in 1935 and by 1945 it was known as the Instrument Division of American Optical Company (hence the designation found on many microscopes as ‘AO Spencer’). In 1982 Reichert partnered with AO, by that time a part of the Warner-Lambert Group. The partnership used the name Reichert-Jung. They were bought by Cambridge Instruments in 1986, which then purchased Bausch & Lomb's optical systems division in 1987, using the name Cambridge instruments. Cambridge Instruments merged with Wild-Leitz in 1990 to form Leica plc. Microscope 437 is a stereoscopic microscope with the binocular head engraved with “SPENCER, BUFFALO, USA” and the serial number 69617. The instrument should be dated to the 1920s. The instrument is also engraved with the initials of its previous owner “Z.U.C.L”. The original wooden box of the instrument contains a label of the retailer stating: “HAWKSLEY & SONS LTD, 17 NEW CAVENDISH STREET, LONDON W.1”. This instrument was described in a 1924 catalogue of the firm as a convertible binocular microscope No. 58 (Figure 1).

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

 

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Figure 1. Spencer’s convertible binocular microscope No. 58 as featured in a 1924 catalogue of the firm.