Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

“Monkey microscope” reproduction

This is an unusual “monkey” microscope modern reproduction loosely resembling other monkey microscopes that appeared at some point in the late 19^th century (Figures 1 and 2). These “monkey” microscopes, the most famous of which should be Moreau’s monkey microscopes (Figure 2), were sometimes interpreted as being figurative caricatures of Charles Darwin (1809 -1882), after he suggested that humans were descended from the primates. At the time, several cartoons and caricatures were published illustrating Darwin as an ape or monkey (Figure 4). The reproduction has a mahogany wooden base, an heigh of approximately 30 cm, and was made in 2025 from an adapted modern aluminium monkey candleholder, a few spares of damaged brass microscopes from the end of the 19^th or early 20^th centuries, and some custom-made brass features. Another modern reproduction of a monkey microscope is illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 1. Monkey microscope as featured in the North American website www.scitechantiques.com/2046/2046.html (accessed 27 June 2025). According to the authors, the instrument was engraved with the name of the Dutch scientific instrument maker “A. Van Emden, Amsterdam”.

Figure 2.  Moreau’s monkey microscope as featured in the 1889 volume of the Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, in which the toy instrument was described as “This microscope …, by M. Moreau of Paris was exhibited at the December meeting of the Society. In its design art as well as science has been drawn on, for instead of an ordinary base and pillar a figure of a monkey is introduced which holds in its hands the stage and mirror, while the cross-arm carrying the body-tube and socket is screwed to the top of its head”. Moreau’s original monkey microscope was very small, with the stage height around 4 cm and, when focused on an object, the eye level around 10 cm above the surface.

Figure 3. Modern “monkey” microscope reproduction as featured on the website www.artcurial.com/en/sales/3943/lots/101-a (accessed 27 June 2025). According to the authors, this instrument was made by Rafael San Marcial (a Spanish restorer of antique scientific instruments) and belonged at some point to the Camacho - Pallas collection.

Figure 4. Charles Darwin’s cartoon published in The Hornet magazine on 22 March 1871, at the time as a reference to his recently published book Descent of man. This is likely the most famous caricature depicting Darwin as an ape or monkey - see “Caricatures of Charles Darwin” by John van Wyhe (https://darwin-online.org.uk/EditorialIntroductions/vanWyhe_Caricatures_of_Darwin.html).