A collection of 19th century Continental microscopes
and related items

Very early example of Fraunhofer's box-mounted achromatic microscope, made between November 1812 and February 1814. Signed on the stage "Utzschneider, Reichenbach, Fraunhofer in Bendictbeurn [sic]".

Reflecting or catadioptric microscope by Amici. Signed on the end of the tube: "Amici, Modena".

Selligue microscope by Vincent Chevalier, modernised by Hugh Powell in the early 1830s. Signed on the tube "Selon M[onsieu]r Selligue, par Vincent Chevalier ainé, Ing[énieu]r Opt[ici]en Breveté, quai de L'horloge № 69 à Paris."

Selligue microscope by Cauchoix. Signed on the tube "Cauchoix Opticien, à Paris."

Horizontal microscope by Vincent & Charles Chevalier, in contemporary literature referred to as 'microscope d'Amici' (Amici type microscope). Signed on the tube "Vincent & C. Chevalier Ing[énieu]rs Opt[icie]ns, Quai de l'horloge № 69 à Paris" and on the tube cradle "CH. CHEVALIER, 154"

Signed on the drum base "Brevet d'Invention, Trécourt & Georges Oberhaeuser, Place Dauphine № 19 à Paris". Trécourt and Oberhaeuser took out a patent for this 'microscope à tourbillon' in 1837.

In chronological order from left to right. The first four are signed on the drum base "Brevet d'Invention, Trécourt & Georges Oberhaeuser, Place Dauphine № 19 à Paris". The fourth bears an additional signature by its retailer: "A. Abraham, Liverpool.". The last one is signed on the arm: "Trécourt, & Georges Oberhaeuser, Place Dauphine № 19 à Paris. Brevet d'Invention, Microscope, Platine à Tourbillon."

Charles Chevalier named this pocket-sized instrument 'microscope diamant', because of its "small size and magnificent effect". Signed on the tube "Charles Chevalier, Palais Royal 163, Paris".

Microscope designed by Filippo Pacini and manufactured by Amici for George John Warren Vernon. When visiting Amici's workshop in Florence, Lord Vernon noticed Pacini's microscope being constructed (at present in the Museo Galileo, Florence) and asked Amici to make a second example.

Simple dissecting microscope by Nachet. Signed: "NACHET, Opticien, rue des Grands Augustins N°1". This stand is described and illustrated by Charles Robin in his 1849 book 'Du microscope et des injections' (pl. II, fig. 2, p. 60): "The base described and illustrated here fulfils far more the preceding conditions [...] than stands mounted onto the box which have to contain them".

The pocket microscope - mounted on top of its cylinder container - and the midsize model are both signed on the tube: "Brunner à Paris". The large model is signed on the tube: "Brunner, à Paris, 34, Rue des Bernardins".

Early Silbermann heliostat by Jules Duboscq. Signed on the drum: "J. T. Silbermann invtr. J. Duboscq - Soleil fecit. Paris, № 52" and on the clockwork: "PAUL GARNIER PARIS 2942".

Dissecting microscope designed by Charles Robin with a tripod base conceived by Henri de Lacaze-Duthiers. Signed on the arm: "NACHET, Opticien, à Paris, Rue Serpente, 16". On pp. 68-9 of his 1849 book 'Du microscope et des injections' Robin observed: "As one of the arms of the [tripod] base is always directed towards the observer, it forces to lean forward to place the eye against the eyepiece, which renders it slightly more tiresome". The introduction of an inclined tube in the present microscope solved this problem. Prototype originating from the Nachet family.

The microscope of Alphonse de Rayneval, French ambassador to the Vatican from 1850 to 1857.

In 1852, the "rentier, physicien et homme de lettres" Achille Brachet - who modelled himself on Marin Mersenne - offered Amici no less than 2000 francs to make his best microscope ever. Amici eventually sold Brachet this 800 francs microscope with six series of phenomenal objectives.
Brachet ended up 'stalking' Amici, sending him letters under false names, causing Amici to classify Brachet as a "pazzo" and "testa sconvolta". In 1856, Brachet published a booklet on this microscope, which Pieter Harting in 1858 (rightfully) described as "tamelijk zonderling" (E: quite odd).

Early example of Nachet's 'large model' microscope. The working instrument of Frederick William Pavy. Signed on the arm: "NACHET, Opticien, à Paris, rue Serpente, 16" and on the case: "Dr F. W. Pavy". In 1853, like many British medical men, Pavy went to study medicine in Paris and returned to London the following year. This microscope dates from exactly that period.

Portable microscope by Giovanni Battista Amici.

Most likely the microscope ordered by Antonio Manganotti for an unidentified friend. It comes with three series of objectives, of which one is for water immersion. It was this type of crude and humble microscope that Amici brought with him when he visited the 1855 Paris Exhibition and introduced his water immersion objective to the world.

Prototype of Nachet's 'large perfected model', most likely made for Frédéric Villot, curator of the Louvre Museum. Signed on the base: "NACHET ET FILS, Rue Serpente, 16, Paris". This prototype of the 'grand modèle perfectionné' includes quite a number of novelties, of which many did not survive in the production version. The coarse focusing is not by the usual rack and pinion, but by a chain winding round a spindle controlled by the wheels.

Early example of Nachet's 'large perfected model'. Signed on the base: "NACHET ET FILS, Rue Serpente, 16, Paris". Contrary to the prototype, in this production version the square vertical limb contains a rack and not a fusee chain. In addition, the body-tube arm and the tube can no longer be detached.

At first sight an ordinary binocular microscope by Nachet, but in reality it is a mineralogical microscope. Signed on the base: "NACHET ET FILS, 17, rue S[ain]t Séverin, Paris" and "GEOL. DEPT. U.C.D. DUBLIN 23". The vertical tube has a slot at its lower end allowing the introduction of an analyser. When of no use, the analyser in the vertical tube no longer had to be removed, thanks to the presence of a second, inclined tube. In addition, the microscope comes with a rotating, graduated stage suited for mineralogical research.

Circa 1877 petrological microscope by Nachet. Signed on the base: "NACHET ET FILS, 17, rue S[ain]t Séverin, Paris". The analyser was placed at the lower end of the internal tube and difficult to remove. Just above the objective, one finds an intriguing revolver holding different Bertrand lenses, allowing the use of convergent light.

Circa 1879 petrological microscope by Nachet. Signed on the base: "NACHET ET FILS, 17, rue S[ain]t Séverin, Paris". This model represents a slightly improved design allowing the analyser to be freely removed from the tube. An absolutely identical instrument was used by the famous mineralogist Evgraf Stepanovich Fedorov and is depicted in his 1893 work 'Теодолитный метод в минералогии и петрографии' (Theodolite method in mineralogy and petrology).

An early mid-size mineralogical microscope by Nachet. Signed on the base: "NACHET, 17, rue S[ain]t Séverin, Paris" and in the same script "Fac[ulté] des Sciences, Lab[oratoire] de Minéralogie, Lyon".