CULPEPER TYPE COMPOUND MONOCULAR MICROSCOPE

English, second quarter of the 18th century, with brass eye-piece and sliding cover, turned lignum vitae body with green leather draw tube numbered with focusing points, outer card body covered with grey stained rayskin, shaped stage with wheel of eight specimens and black and white ivory discs, three legs of diamond section above concave mirror, the octagonal base with drawer at the front fitted with five numbered objectives, fish plate tweezers, ivory talc box and bone specimen slides, in oak pillar case with brass ring handle, the microscope is 42cm(16 1/2 in) high. see Billings p 173 # 329, p 175 # 333

"The instrument appears to be identical to CULPEPER first form Microscope made by Matthew Loft. Loft , a waterman of Lambeth, was apprenticed to Thomas Gay, Master of specticale Makers company, in 1744 and 1745, and made many of the Culpeper model microscopes. For very similar microscope, see: G LE Turner, The Great Age of the Microscope, p.36. See also p41 G LE Turner Collecting Microscopes

See Ref(3) billings collection item 333, 329, for a similar example " It is identical to that described in the literature as the second form of the Culpeper microscope made by Matthew Loft".

See Ref(3) Modifications to the original Culpeper in the form of a box as a base with a draw for accessories is attributed to Edward Scarlett 1677-1743.

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