Microscope

Object Details

Bausch & Lomb

Description

Bausch & Lomb introduced their Physician’s microscope in 1877, boasting that it was “firm and well balanced” and well adapted “to the use of physicians and students.” The stand and case cost $40; with two objectives and camera lucida it cost $65. Ernst Gundlach, the Prussian immigrant who had become superintendent of the firm’s new microscope department in 1876, was largely responsible for the form.

This example is a compound monocular with coarse and fine focus, double nosepiece, rectangular stage, inclination joint, sub-stage aperture ring with three different diaphragms, sub-stage mirror, curvaceous base, and wooden box with extra lenses. The body and tube are nickel-plated brass; the base is black iron; the stage is heavy glass. The inscription on the tube reads “BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO. ROCHESTER, N.Y.” That on the arm reads “PAT. OCT. 3. 1876.” That on the metal slide holder reads “PAT. DEC. 25, 77.”

This microscope was used by Robert Selden (1847-1921), a physician in Catskill, New York. The 1594 serial number on the card in the box indicates a date around 1881.

Ref: Bausch & Lomb, Price List of Microscopes (Rochester, 1877), p. 6.

Ernst Gundlach, “Microscopes,” U.S. Patent 182,919 (Oct. 3, 1876).

Ernst Gundlach, “Moveable Slide Holder,” U.S. Patent 198,607 (Dec. 25, 1877).

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

Mrs. Katharine Selden Kniskern Mather

ca 1881

ID Number

MG.M-11497

accession number

262401

catalog number

M-11497

262401.01

Object Name

microscope

Measurements

case: 12 in x 7 1/4 in x 6 9/16 in; 30.48 cm x 18.415 cm x 16.66875 cm

microscope: 10 7/8 in x 5 3/4 in x 6 in; 27.6225 cm x 14.605 cm x 15.24 cm

place made

United States: New York, Rochester

See more items in

Medicine and Science: Medicine

Microscopes

Science & Mathematics

National Museum of American History

Subject

Science & Scientific Instruments

Record ID

nmah_1351336

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ac-ad0a-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa