Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

 

      

Microscope 81 (W Watson & Sons Ltd; Edinburgh stand H model; 1920s)

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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, taken over by Philips. By 1970 the manufacture of microscopes was over. Microscope 81 is a Watson’s Edinburgh stand H and the technical details in this instrument allow to date it to the late 1920s or early 1930s (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 ‘W. Watson & Sons Ltd, 313 High Holborn, London’ but there is no serial number. Also engraved is ‘H M Govt’ and the eyepiece contains what seems to be a military broad arrow, suggesting that this instrument belonged to the British army. The mirror is missing from this instrument. In replacement, the instrument is fitted with a later model of a microscope electrical illuminator from Watson Barnet (a name the company started to use since the mid-1950s), containing the serial number 223801.

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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: 05.05.2021