Description

Offered for sale is a nicely presented compact desk-top microscope by quality French makers Hartnack & Prazmowski of Paris.  There’s a serial number 12519 on the case, but I cannot find any traces of a serial number on the instrument itself.  The maker’s details are engraved onto the optical tube, which I’ve tried to shown in one of the listing photos.

Background to Hartnack & Prazmowski – source Microscope Museum

The origins of Hartnack & Prazmowski were in the Parisian optical business founded by Georg Oberhaeuser, who popularised Martin’s drum microscope pattern and developed the horseshoe-footed continental stand. Oberhaeuser began his business in 1830 (his shop was located at 19 Place Dauphine in 1832). In 1854, he formed a partnership with his assistant Hartnack (who started working with Oberhaeuser in 1847) and retired shortly afterwards in 1854. The business operated as “Oberhaeuser and Hartnack” until 1859, when Hartnack became the sole owner and the firm became simply “Hartnack”. Hartnack left France in 1870, at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, and went to establish a business in Potsdam, near Berlin, known as Hartnack. The Paris business continued as “Hartnack et Cie” and, later, in 1873, Hartnack & Prazmowski (moving to 1 Rue Bonaparte). Prazmowski took sole ownership of the Paris business in 1878, and later, in 1883, passed it on to his employees Bézu and Hausser. The firm became “Bézu, Hausser et Cie”, although they continued to use Prazmowski’s name until his death in 1885. They sold the business to Alfred Nachet in 1896. Hartnack’s Potsdam business continued after his death until well into the 1900s.

This Victorian example of a compact desk-top stand is in pretty good condition with good originality and has obviously been well looked after by its former custodians, the first of which seems to have been Aberdeen University Pathology Lab. There are engravings to this effect on the foot and also on the eyepiece and I’ve also tried to show these in the listing photos – at the very end.

This example benefits from clean objective and eyepiece, a stage with specimen retaining clips although they’re not really essential in that this is a non-inclinable instrument.  It presents well with this example having black-painted and lacquered brass details which are just showing few signs of age-related tarnishing, with what looks like a re-applied lacquer finish to the instrument thereby preserving its lustre, so that it catches the light really well.   This compact desk-top microscope is built with quality materials, with solid construction and no doubt skilled workmanship with most components probably hand-finished.  This is a sturdy quality period compact microscope in good condition with bags of character and period charm.  It’s got a great look about it and is a fantastic example of a compact brass instrument from the late Victorian era.

In terms of construction we have a heavy black-painted U-shaped foot, with continental pillar arrangement in lacquered brass.  The instrument’s main coarse focus is by a friction tube which works well with smooth action, holding in position as it should in its working range.  Fine focus is operated via a brass thumb-wheel atop the continental pillar which also has a smooth if rather stiff operation.  Turning to the optics, this compact microscope comes fitted with a quality vintage eyepiece that with good illumination produces excellent images:

– approx 6x magnification 

There’s one vintage objective marked 30 also in usable condition, although I’m not sure if this figure relates to magnification, NA or some other number such as inventory.  Note: the objective is RMS in terms of thread diameter, so plenty of other objectives will also fit the instrument.

The rectangular brass stage is fitted with two slide clips which will be later replacements and work well.

Turning to the sub-stage, there’s an adjustable wheel-of-stops for controlling lighting with 5-positions/aperture sizes and a positive feel when each aperture is aligned correctly.  For lighting there is a single-sided concave mirror on a brass arm giving swing and rotational adjustment plus gimbal.  The mirror silvering is in very good condition.

This is a great example of classic compact stand that’s in excellent working condition with usable optics and it’s essentially very much a collectable proposition, displaying well for a compact instrument – small but very well put together.  Great item for both desk-top use and display.

There is a period storage case with this example, which is also in very good condition for its age with a fine exterior sheen, nice fitted interior along with the retailer’s name – Broadhurst & Clarkson on the internal cushioning.  The lock is present but key missing as is often the case with antique items like this.  

Owing to the weight and delicacy of the microscope, it will be partially dismantled, well wrapped for shipping and dispatched by insured courier upon receipt of cleared funds.  

Thanks for looking.