MODEL: 'LIBRARY MICROSCOPE' or the latest model of the 'IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL COMPOUND MICROSCOPE'

DESCRIPTION:
The microscope is American and was made from about 1887. It is signed in a small circle 'McAllister, New York' on the circular lacquered brass stage. It is clearly a Bausch & Lomb 'Library Microscope' (or late model 'American Agriculturalist Compound Microscope') and made from about 1886-96. It is constructed of painted cast iron, lacquered brass, and nickel plate finishes, the latter to the drawtube. It features rack and pinion coarse focus but no fine focus. It has a swinging tailpiece with concave mirror which is gimballed but cannot slide up and down the tailpiece. The mirror tailpiece can however rotate around the axis of the stage to provide extreme oblique illumination, or even illumination from above the stage for opaque objects. Although it has the same foot and general form of the 'Model' Microscope, it is smaller. Minimum height of this microscope in vertical position is about 9 inches. Maximum with drawtube extended is about 12.5 inches. There is a triple button objective. The bottom of the cast iron foot has the part number 48.

HISTORY OF THE B & L LIBRARY MICROSCOPE and the AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL COMPOUND MICROSCOPE

This is the later model of the B & L 'Library' microscope, a small basic microscope of solid construction. This particular example was retailed by McAllister in New York, likely between 1886 and 1896.

The earlier version of the Library model advertised in the 1879 price list, and shown to the left,was much smaller and had a rectangular black stage instead of the round lacquered brass stage seen here. Unlike the later version featured above on this page and to the right, its mirror could not be swung above the stage.

The model featured on this page, and also shown in the engraving to the right, was also retailed in this form by Queen and possibly other retailers as well. This microscope in its earlier, improved and further improved later form as shown here, was also called the 'AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST COMPOUND MICROSCOPE' when sold through the American Agriculturist magazine by the Orange Judd Company. It is a bit larger than the earlier two models, which each had a minimum height of 7 inches and each of these earlier stands had a much smaller foot, though each of these was different than the other two.