Philip Harris Microscope [vintage]

From the 36th Philip Harris catalogue (1913):

Microscope No. 1, of simple design, substantial construction and nicely finished, suitable for elementary Botanical and Biological work. This instrument is provided with a horseshoe form of base, and inclinable stand, draw tube, coarse adjustment by rack and pinion, and fine adjustment by screw to stage. Large square stage fitted with cylinder diaphragm, plane and concave mirror, adjustable.

Classic microscopes such as this one are beautiful display pieces, exhibiting the fine workmanship and materials (no plastic!) of a bygone era. They are also very usable and give excellent images, although if you primarily want it for microscopy (rather than display) you might prefer a more modern microscope.

In the early 19th century, a lot of experimentation was taking place in lens design for microscopes, because improved lenses were fundamental to the better microscopes which were urgently needed for scientific research. A wine merchant in the City of London called Joseph Jackson Lister (1786-1869), (whose son became Lord Lister, the discoverer of antiseptics), was one of the leading innovators. His paper on lens design, published by the Royal Society in 1830, meant that good quality compound microscopes, which scientific research so urgently needed was now possible. His was the first scientifically based design for microscope lenses. J. J. Lister asked a mathematical instrument maker called James Smith to make a microscope to suit his new lenses and as more amd more people wanted decent microscopes Smith set up in business making microscopes with lenses of Lister’s design. Lister apprenticed his nephew Richard Beck to Smith, and when Richard became a partner in 1847 the firm became Smith & Beck. Joseph Beck, Richard’s brother and Horace Beck’s father joined the firm in 1851, having been apprenticed to Troughton and Simms, the foremost scientific instrument makers of the day. In 1868 James Smith retired and the name changed to R. & J. Beck. (from The Bead Study Trust).