TELESCOPING FOCUS MINIATURE FRENCH SIMPLE MICROSCOPE
c. 4th QTR 19th C.
MODEL:
'ENTOMOLOGICAL' (KAHN & SON)
'CONVENIENT MICROSCOPE IN A CASE'
'DOLLAR MICROSCOPE'
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DESCRIPTION:
This miniature simple microscope measures about 28.5 mm in greatest diameter and 40 mm high at a minimum. The case measures about 66 x 52 x 37 mm. It has several interesting features. The lower piece has a glass bottom as does the bottom of the upper part of the instrument, the two parts thus forming a livebox/compressor. In addition, there is a slot in the barrel to accept slides which are held in place by pushing up the bottom part. The telescoping eyepiece can therefore focus on a slide, or when pushed in further, can focus on the livebox portion. The images are good considering the low price of the instrument at the time.
HISTORY OF THIS MICROSCOPE
This design, found in periodicals from 1879 and 1880, was sold both by magazines as a subscription premium, and also by mail-order and other retailers. It was but one of a great many designs for an inexpensive small microscope sold for use by those interested in studying insects and plants without great expense. It is one of the more flexible designs allowing the use of slides and also its own built-in live box. The biggest drawback is the lack of openings to illuminate an opaque specimen. It is designed mainly as an instrument to view transparent or translucent specimens.
