COMPOUND LINEN PROVING MICROSCOPE:
c. 1ST THIRD 20TH C.
FRENCH
DESCRIPTION:
This small, (probably nickel-plated), portable microscope is a 'linen prover.' It has a draw tube used to vary magnification. It is unusual in that it is a compound instrument, whereas the vast majority of linen provers are simple microscopes. Another unusual feature is the foot with multiple openings calibrated in units from various localities. A lacquered brass simple microscope configured this way is also in this collection.
HISTORY OF THIS MICROSCOPE
This microscope closely resembles the common French microscope known as the 'Universal'. Although the compound tube appears identical, the foot and the central support are quite different. This microscope likely dates to the same era of the first third of the twentieth century. It seems to be an uncommon microscope. Compound microscopes for thread counting are relatively few. The Vagus microscopes of the German Edmund Gaillard are examples.
