DESCRIPTION: The microscope is signed on the stage: 'C. REICHERT WIEN'. It is a compound microscope with unmarked eyepiece and an objective signed: 'C. REICHERT, WIEN' and the objective is signed: 'No 3'. The stage has two stage clips to hold a slide. There is a single opening in its center about 1 cm in diameter. The round stage is about 9 cm in diameter and has three tiny cone-shaped feet screwed on from underneath. From the stage arises the two supporting struts which join a ring to hold the outer microscope tube. A lacquered brass sleeve with four expansion slots screws into the ring. Into this fits the Nickel plated optical tube. The minimum height of the microscope is about 17 cm. A nickel-plated draw tube allows increasing magnification. With it extended, and the microscope focused on the stage, the total height of the instrument extends to 27 cm. There is a knurled locking ring at the top of the lacquered brass sleeve to lock the tube in focus, although there is no provision to lock the draw tube. The optics are intact and the instrument gives good images.
HISTORY OF THE REICHERT DEMONSTRATION MICROSCOPES:
Carl Reichert(1851-1922), joined the firm of Ernst Leitz in the 1870's. He established his own business in Vienna(Wien) in 1876. The microscope on this page was listed in Reichert catalogs as early as 1883 as 'No. 30 (left). In the 1898 catalog (right), the model shown on this page is listed as 'No. 31'
At the same time 'No. 32' 'with extended stage to which a piece of paper may be fastened' on which 'the special features of the object may be sketched...and more easily found', originally described in the JRMS of 1893 (right), is listed and illustrated. It is likely that the model pictured at the top of this page was available prior to 1893.
In the catalog of 1909 (left), a more sophisticated version of the microscope featured at the top of this page, with polarizing apparatus and an attached substage condenser, was shown and designated 'No. 114'. In that same catalog the newer version of the basic demonstration microscope was pictured as No 115, and the extended stage version of number 115 was shown in the JRMS of that same year(right).
We are grateful to Dr. Joseph Zeligs for his editorial help, and to both Dr Zeligs and James Solliday for supplying catalog information for this page; as always their assistance and friendship is always deeply appreciated.
