Withering-type botanical microscope, 1780
The “Withering-type Microscope” is named for its inventor, Dr. William Withering (1741-1799), an English physician and botanist who graduated with a degree in medicine 1766 in Edinburgh. Inspired by the taxonomical work and systematic classification of Carl Linnæus (1707-1778), Withering (1776) applied the Linnaean taxonomical system of classification to British plants in a seminal, two volume work, A Botanical arrangement of all the vegetables naturally growing in the British Isles. The earliest reference to a small botanical microscope of Withering’s design appeared in the first edition of this book. There, Withering indicated this microscope was developed for field dissections of flowers and other plant parts. While there is no surviving example of this exact design, close relatives of this type do exist, made either completely of brass or of ivory with brass pillars. Ivory models can be tentatively dated to 1776-1785, as by 1787 a newer model with a hollowed stage in an all-brass configuration already predominated. In turn, it was preceded by the brief appearance of a transitional brass model but with solid stage of ivory or horn (seen here). This version is extremely rare and must have been produced in very small numbers. By 1787 all these varieties were not recorded anymore in the literature.
Withering-type botanical microscope, 1780
The “Withering-type Microscope” is named for its inventor, Dr. William Withering (1741-1799), an English physician and botanist who graduated with a degree in medicine 1766 in Edinburgh. Inspired by the taxonomical work and systematic classification of Carl Linnæus (1707-1778), Withering (1776) applied the Linnaean taxonomical system of classification to British plants in a seminal, two volume work, A Botanical arrangement of all the vegetables naturally growing in the British Isles. The earliest reference to a small botanical microscope of Withering’s design appeared in the first edition of this book. There, Withering indicated this microscope was developed for field dissections of flowers and other plant parts. While there is no surviving example of this exact design, close relatives of this type do exist, made either completely of brass or of ivory with brass pillars. Ivory models can be tentatively dated to 1776-1785, as by 1787 a newer model with a hollowed stage in an all-brass configuration already predominated. In turn, it was preceded by the brief appearance of a transitional brass model but with solid stage of ivory or horn (seen here). This version is extremely rare and must have been produced in very small numbers. By 1787 all these varieties were not recorded anymore in the literature.
References: SML: A242712; Goren 2014.
References: SML: A242712; Goren 2014.
Prof. Yuval Goren's Collection of the History of the Microscope
Early Microscopes by Andrew Ross
Andrew Ross, Large No. 1, 1849
This microscope reflects the popular English bar-limb design first introduced by Andrew Ross in 1842. This design became the standard for many British microscope makers throughout the second half of the 19th century. The British microscopes had long tubes and were based on the bar-limb concept having a Y-shaped base holding an inclining tube that holds the mirror, stage, rack and pinion system for coarse focusing and the "bar" holding the tube. This concept was maintained by most of the dominant makers of the second half of the 19th century including Powell and Lealand, Ross, Dollond, Baker, and many others. Some conservative companies (i.e., Powell and Lealand) continued the manufacture of bar-limb microscopes into the 20th century, long after the improved continental design.
This large microscope is signed on the 'Y' shaped foot, 'A. ROSS, LONDON, No 398' should date to 1849.
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YG-19-006
Early Ross Microscope Fitted With Wenham's Binocular, ca. 1860
This binocular microscope is signed on the 'Y' shaped foot, 'A. ROSS, LONDON'. Ross did not include serial numbers to his microscopes before August 1842.
