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ANNOTATED REFERENCES FOR THE HISTORY OF MICROSCOPY AND COLLECTING MICROSCOPES
Every serious microscope collector eventually accumulates a number of references and I am no exception. Listed here by author, are some of the references that I have found most useful in my research about the microscope and microscopy. It is not complete, and is only a starting point for the beginner but will be expanded as time permits. I have started with what I consider the most important articles, web sites, and books on the subject. In some cases, specialized references will be found on the web page they apply to, rather than here. Certain other types of references, not included here may be appropriate to an instrument or type of collection. Among the most useful references not listed here are the numerous trade catalogs of the various microscope makers. Obviously these are extremely useful and should be consulted whenever possible. Many are available on line.
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B
Bracegirdle, Brian: Notes on Modern Microscope Manufacturers. Quekett Microscopical Club, 1996.
-This excellent resource, by one of the worlds greatest microscope historians, is full of useful information sometimes hard to find elsewhere. There are a few areas where it is lacking and it does have a few errors, as any book of this type will. Nevertheless, the best single resource available on this topic by far. For some corrections and additions to his book I have posted a corrections page on this site.
Bracegirdle, Brian: Microscopical Mounts and Mounters. Quekett Microscopical Club, 1998.
-Another excellent resources by Bracegirdle, beautifully illustrated, a must have for anyone interested in antique microscope slides. Like his other book, it contains some information which has been more recently updated. Much of the updated information is to be found in the JQMC and on two important web sites: Brian Stevenson's site, Microscopist.net and also on Howard Link's site, A Cabinet of Curiosities. Both of these sites are highly recommended!
Bracegirdle, Brian (ed): Beads of glass: Leeuwenhoek and the early microscope. Catalog of an Exhibition in the Museum Boerhaave, November 1982 to May 1983 and in the Science Museum May to October 1983.
-The definitive short work on Leewenhoek and his microscopes, very entertaining and informative, with much additional historical information from the time.
Bracegirdle, Brian: CD: The Microscope Collection of the Science Museum Little Imp Publications, 1995.
-This CD is most remarkable for the sheer volume of instruments within. The images are small but generally adequate. The text contains variable amounts of historical information. An essential reference because of the wide number and type of instruments included, many seldom or never seen elsewhere.
Bracegirdle, Brian: A History of Photography with the Light Microscope. Quekett Microscopical Club, 2010.
The definitive work on the subject, profusely illustrated and with much useful related information.
Bradbury, Seville: The Evolution of the Microscope Pergamon Press 1967.
-An excellent resource, highly recommended.
Brown, Olivia: The Whipple Museum of the History of Science, Catalog 7, Microscopes. The Whipple Museum, 1986.
-A useful catalog with fair illustrations, and much information, with only a few scattered errors. I find it a bit difficult to read because of the authors unique abbreviations, but still a critical addition to any collectors library. Two of the most important errors include the figure for catalog number 200 which is not the Penny Cyclopaedia microscope described in the text under that entry, and number 300, incorrectly classified and described as an eyepiece, actually a focusing photographic magnifier.
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Clifton, Gloria: Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851 National Maritime Museum, 1995.
-An authorative resource with many entries expanded far beyond 1851.
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Delly, John Gustav: Photography through the microscope. Eastman Kodak, 1998.
-Although written before the age of digital imaging, a superb introduction to the subject and more importantly, one of the best and clearest explanations of how microscopes work and how to set them up and use them properly.
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Fournier, Marian: Early Microscopes – A Descriptive Catalogue of the early microscopes in the Boerhaave Museum, Leiden, Netherlands. Boerhaave communication no 300, 2003
-Hundreds of microscopes, including many preachromatic microscopes seldom seen elsewhere
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Giordano, Raymond V.: Singular Beauty: Simple Microscopes from the Giordano Collection. Catalogue of an exhibition at the MIT Museum, 2006-7.
-This is the only readily available catalog devoted solely to antique Single or Simple microscopes. The information is generally reliable, and the images are in color, though rather small. The 1953 catalog by Van Der Star is long out of print, expensive, and hard to find.
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Hartley, W.G.: The Light Microsope, Its Use and DevelopmentSenecio Publishing, Oxford. 1993.
-Another very excellent and worthwhile review; excellent illustrations.
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Kile, Daniel E.: The Petrographic Microscope. Special supplement No. 1 to the Mineralogical Record Nov-Dec 2003. Tuscon Az.
-The standard work on the subject with beautiful illustrations. Essential for any collector of microscopes, especially those who own or wish to own one of these, the most complex and uncommon type of light microscope.
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Link, Howard: A Cabinet of Curiosities One of two authoritative sites on antique microscope slides-don't miss it!
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Malies, Harold:A Short History of the English Microscope
-A worthwhile review, but with several errors and not as easy to use as a reference as others. Errors include a statement that the Watson 'Royal' model was larger than the 'Edinburgh H' (it is not, they are exactly the same size except for the diameter of the double tube on the Royal), and on page 53 where he states that the American Bulloch Congress Stand had a substage fine adjustment, which it does not. He also calls one of Varley's microscopes, 'Smith's Microscope' (figure 11).
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Newstead, Michael J: Cumulative Index to the Quekett Journals of Microscopy volumes 1-36. The Queckett Microscopical Club, 1994.
-An extremely easy to use reference the Journal of the QMC.
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Padgitt, Donald L.: A Short History of Early American Microscopes. Microscope Publications ltd, 1975.
-The single most important book on the subject. Because it was written before the internet, it is out of date in a few areas especially in regards to the existence of microscopes by certain makers. Nevertheless, extremely valuable and mostly very accurate.
Purtle, Helen R. (ed): The Billings Microscope Collection of the Medical Museum of the Armed Forces Inst of Pathology, 2nd ed 1974, reprinted 1987.
-The only available official printed catalog of one of the biggest public microscope collections in the world. It contains several errors in its history of the microscope section, several errors in the era of production of some of its instruments, and in a few cases, attributions for unclear reasons. The images are low resolution but generally usable. One advantage of this book is that, by U.S. law, it cannot be copyrighted. Most of these instruments are no longer on display at the museum. Despite its few shortcomings, another very essential reference for every collector and its free!
Q
The Quekett Journal of Microscopy. The Quekett Microscopical Club, London.
-The best single journal still in production for those interested in the History of the Microscope and associated subjects. A subscription, and membership in the QMC, is highly recommended!
R
Rooseboom, Maria: The History of the Microscope. Proc Roy Microscopical Soc. Vol2, Part2, p266-293. 1967.
-This is one of the best factual histories of the microscope. Highly recommended for all.
Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society
With most volumes available for free on Google books, an essental reference particularly during the 19th century when detailed accounts and beautiful engravings of new and old microscopes and related items were well documented. An index and links to the free Journals are kindly provided by Allan Wissner on his Web site. A page with links to most of the volumes is available from Hathitrust.
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Turner, G.L'E.: The Great age of the Microscope, The collection of the Royal Microscopical Society through 150 Years. Adam Hilger, 1989.
-Easily the best catalog of a Public Collection, it contains good biographies on each of the major British makers.
There are only a few errors in this masterful book. An essential reference!
V
Van Der Star, P: Descriptive Catalogue of the simple microscopes in the Rijksmuseum voor de Geschiedenis Naturwetenschappen at Leyden. 1953.
-The earliest modern attempt at a catalog devoted solely to single or simple microscopes, long out of print, hard to find and expensive when found.
Van Heurck, Henri: The Microscope: Its Construction and Management... English Ed Translated by Baxter, W.E. Crosby, Lockwood and Son, London and D Van Nostrand Co, New York. 1893.
-When it comes to engravings, one of the most beautifully illustrated works. Complete with illustrations of microscopes of most of the important makers worldwide at the time. A treasure to own, but you can have a pdf free by clicking on the link.
