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SOEMMERING-TYPE CAMERA LUCIDA
MAKER: POWELL & LEALAND(A)
COUNTRY: ENGLAND (?)
c. 2nd Qtr 19th C.
SOEMMERING-TYPE CAMERA LUCIDA:
This form of camera lucida was invented by Dr Samuel Thomas Soemmering(died 1830), the famous German anatomist. It consists of a highly polished or silvered steel disk which is smaller than the pupil, reflecting the image seen through a microscope into the eye, while the outer portion of the eye's visual field can visualize the paper for drawing. Powell & Lealand often supplied this type of camera lucida with their microscopes, especially early on; this example has provision for adjusting the angle of reflection but earlier examples did not have this provision. (Images kindly provided by, and collection of, Dr Jurriaan de Groot).