Microscope

Add to album

This bar-limb achromatic compound microscope in brass was made in London between 1850 and 1870. It comes with two objectives and one eyepiece. The signature on the base reads: 'BAKER / 244 High Holborn / LONDON'.

In 1855 Baker produced a catalogue listing and illustrating a series of bar-limb microscopes similar to those made by Andrew Ross, but not so large or so expensive. Baker's largest cost £13-10-0, considerably less than those produced by Ross. This microscope would appear to be one described as 'a smaller microscope, without mechanical stage, but having a sliding object holder ... £6-15-0'.

Some of Charles Baker's trade literature claimed that the firm was established in 1765, but it first appeared in the London street directories for 1851. Thereafter, it rapidly became one of the providers of second-ranking microscopes for the latter half of the nineteenth century.

Record details

To search on related items, click any underlined text below.

• Online ID: 000-180-000-934-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland Part 2
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  
• Date: Between 1850 and 1870
  
• Material:
• Dimensions:
• What:
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where:
• Event:
• Description:
• References:
  • For Baker, see Clifton, G. Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851. London, 1995, p 14. 
  • Nuttall, R.H. Microscopes from the Frank Collection 1800-1860. Jersey, 1979, p 47. 
• Translations:
• Related Records: