DESCRIPTION: This is an example of the P & L portable microscope, also known as the the #4. It represents the more complex later version, based on the original of 1848. It is not in this collection, and I am grateful to the former owner of this microscope for allowing me to use his illustrations. It comes in a French-polished fitted mahogany case with green velvet cushions. It is of bar limb construction with rack and pinion coarse focus and long lever fine focus. There is a Turrell type concentric mechanical stage, a very uncommon finding on a folding portable microscope of this era, except for P & L. The three legs fold together. The substage has rack and pinion focusing, along with provision for centering with two knurled control knobs. The optical tube must be removed for storage. When in the case, the legs, still attached to the rest of the stand, are stored inside the tube.

Accessories include a stage forceps, single objective and a single eyepiece. The tube is removed from the stand for storage in the case, but unlike the other example on this site, the legs do not store inside the tube. The other one has a much more complete set of accessories, and the felt is blue instead of the green seen here. The example here lacks a condenser

HISTORY OF THE P & L PORTABLE:
Once the era of the achromatic aplanatic microscope started, it seemed there would be a need for a highly portable yet rugged and well made stand. The model shown on this page certainly filled that bill, and in an even more sophisticated form continued to be produced for the next half century. It is the portable folding microscope by which all others were judged, being exceptionally well made but also very expensive, as it is today. The Swift Portable was likely inspired by this model.
Another example of this model with a more complete set of accessories is also on this site.