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Leith brass & enamel compound microscope


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Spotted this Leitz compound microscope on Ffordes website last week and could not resist … thus arrived this morning.

 

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Brass lacquer has minor spots but is in surprisingly good condition for its age. The two objective lenses and eyepieces are as per the original Leitz contents card inside the case door. A box of cover glasses and two filters are in the case.

 

 

 

 

 

The wooden case is is probably Leitz supplied and has the dealers nameplate inside: Melville & Hunter, Scientific Instrument Makers, 6 BRISTO STREET, EDINBURGH. A Post Office directory lists the company Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Annual Directory 1923-24, Volume 1923-24, Page 360 | Document Viewer

 

 

 

 

No date on the card but the SN 248221 dates it to 1926 which was the first year of manufacture for the Leica Model 1 camera with Elmar lens when just 1524 cameras were made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A published list of Leitz microscope SNs' suggests that 5358 ’scopes were made in 1926 - but there were several different models.

 

Prior to 1925 when the company was making microscopes and optical instruments, Ernst Leitz Wetzlar was debating whether to manufacture Oskar Barnack's miniature camera. Thirty one Leica '0' cameras with Anastigmat lenses were produced in 1923/24 for evaluation followed by the Leica 1 in 1925 when 144 Anastigmat lens models and 713 Elmax lens models were manufactured. In 1926 the Leica 1 (now called Leica 1 Model A) went into production with the 50mm f3.5 Elmar lens.

 

I'm pleased the 1926 microscope coincides with the first year of the Leica Model 1 Elmar camera production and more than pleased that it is totally original and complete with the actual two objective lenses and two eyepieces supplied. Both objectives have their original brass keepers.

 

Now need to source a catalogue to identify the microscope model - it appears to be a fairly common compound microscope design but is scarce by virtue of its remarkably good condition and completeness.

 

 

Best wishes

 

dunk

 

 

Photos taken with Leica C camera - window light; microscope in a light box constructed with white 'foam board' & held together with Blutac.

Edited by dkpeterborough
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dunk

Edited by dkpeterborough
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Wow - reminded me of my first "real" microscope, about the same vintage as yours. Mine was all black, but that brass on yours is nothing short of stunning!

 

The brass on this earlier 1923 Leitz travelling microscope is better … I plan to photograph it again to show all the accessories with the 'scope assembled. Note similar card but this card is dated.

 

 

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Best wishes

 

dunk

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  • 2 weeks later...

When I was a kid my folks bought this Bausch & Lomb microscope for us. I spent endless hours pressing stuff between the slide and cover shields. Blood, bugs, and stuff. I loved this thing. When I was in Florence I saw Antonie van Leeuwenhoek's microscope in the Museo Galileo. Also, there was Galileo's compound microscope.

 

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