000-100-104-218-C © National Museums Scotland |
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Microscope
This early compound microscope dates from the late 17th century. It is unsigned but its lenses were possibly made by the London optician John Yarwell (1648-1712). It has the royal coat-of arms on it (not shown here).
The microscope has a walnut body and a brass stand. The leather covering on the barrel is stamped with gold-impressed tooling, a contemporary bookbinding decoration, characteristic of London optical instruments of the period. The wing jamb screw and the eye lens cup are early 20th century replacements.
Robert Hooke (1635-1703), Curator of Experiments to the Royal Society, was a pioneer of the construction and use of the microscope. He was probably the first person to design a side-pillar compound microscope like the one pictured here.
Record details
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Online ID: |
000-100-104-218-C |
Image Rights Holder: |
National Museums Scotland |
Project: |
0098: National Museums Scotland
Project description | View all records in project |
Ref: |
National Museums Scotland T.1937.131 |
Date: |
Late 17th century
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Material: |
Walnut body, brass stand, leather. Inscription: Royal coat of arms
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Dimensions: |
14.00" L (body); 4.00" D (barrel)
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What: |
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Subject: |
22. PHYSICS, Light (Departmental Classification)
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Who: |
Marshall (Eponym)
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Where: |
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Event: |
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Description: |
Marshall's microscope, walnut body and brass stand, with the royal coat of arms embossed on leather, late 17th century
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References: |
- Illustrated and discussed in Turner, G. L'E. Collecting Microscopes. London, 1981 pp 49-50
- Nuttall, R. H., 'A Marshall Microscope in the Royal Museum of Scotland' in Microscopy 35 (1987), pp 499-509
- Turner, G. L'E., 'Decorative tooling on 17th and 18th century microscopes and telescopes' in Essays on the History of the Microscope, Oxford: 1980, item 59
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