SOEMMERING-TYPE CAMERA LUCIDA

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).