DESCRIPTION: This is a large, top-of-the-line microscope, produced in the early 20th century to compete with similar instruments by Watson (the Grand Van Heurck), and Baker (the Nelson-Curties No 1). This example arises from a large continental foot, though it was available both this way and also with the English tripod foot, as the engraving below shows. The original description from the JRMS of 1902 describes its details well.

HISTORY OF THE BECK IMPERIAL MICROSCOPE:

As noted above, and shown in the 1902 plate from the JRMS, this microscope was first described in the JRMS of 1902.

Although originally pictured with an English tripod foot, with the continental foot optional, sometime early in the 20th century the catalog showed it with the continental foot, reflecting the increasing popularity of that configuration. The English tripod was now the optional form.

Although the original form was a complex and 'complete' microscope, Beck took advantage of the model's image and also produced a simpler version of the Imperial. As seen in the illustration to the left, this simpler version had a square stage without calibrated geared rotation, no substage fine focus, and did not have a rack and pinion driven drawtube. This new model was now called the 'Imperial' and the original complex version was called the 'Imperial Microscope, Complete Model'.

The imperial was also made available in a metallurgical version, announced in the JRMS in 1905. In this version the range of focus was greater with additional focusing to the stage itself, and the stage was changed to square. The instrument was meant to be used in a horizontal position or vertically but without the substage, which would interfere with the stage focusing.