Microscope, made by Smith & Beck, owned by Joshua Alder

This achromatic monocular compound 'Students Microscope' made in London was sold in 1853. By 1840, three new instrument makers, exclusively manufacturing microscopes, had emerged in London, who had learned how to make successful achromatic instruments. Through J.J. Lister's optical theory and their own remarkable skill, their microscopes were the best available optically. One of these, James Smith (d.1870), seems to have worked exclusively for the trade until 1839, when he was assisted in business by Lister, with whose nephew Richard Beck he formed a partnership in 1847.

The microscope is signed on the body tube, and numbered 743. It has an iron reverse claw foot, and comes with one objective and one eyepiece.

Besides their expensive Lister-limb design, Smith & Beck produced microscopes at about six guineas (£6-30) for the growing student market. These were pitched at a relatively low price in competition with imported Continental microscopes, and were listed in Smith & Beck's catalogues for over thirty years. This particular instrument was sold to the naturalist Joshua Alder in May 1853. Alder was a prolific author of books and papers on conchology and zoophytology, and had previously owned one of Smith's more expensive microscopes.

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