Description

The microscope is a binocular “Ross bar-limb” type, This type has a square section which pivots about the uprights, to which is attached the stage and racked substage. It was designed by Andrew Ross in 1842.

Lacquer is original, all moving function well.Tilt very firmly set. The microscope has detachable “Wenham” binocular tubes, which can be used for stereo-microscopy by using an achromatic prism above the objective lens to split the light beam. The nosepiece on the instrument also has a “Nicol” prism mounted above the “Wenham” prism, each residing in a sliding brass box so thatthey can be introduced or removed from the light path.

The tubes have a rack and pinion mechanism to adjust the width between the eyepieces. There ara two sets of them of different magnification. A wheel at the base of the tubes can be used to fine focus the objective lens.

There is an adjustable X-Y stage that can also be rotated horintally giving excellent ability to manipulate the viewed specimen. There is a dovetailed sliding bracked to hold slides firmly in place against the fixed back rail. Beneath the stage there is a dovetailed rack and pinion substage accessory holder with a bayonet slot at the bottom. There is an “Abbe” condenser complete with diaphagm and pivoting filter holder that fits into the top of the collar. Beneath the substage assembly, and protrunding from the bar limb, is a tube fitted with an adjustable collar holding a plano-concave light mirror. This has a single rotatable crank arm.

The microscope is housed in a beautiful custom-made mahogany box with hand cut dovetail joints. It has a door on each side and comes with the original key. Locks work perfectly but one estutcheon is missing.

It comes with 5 objectives lens, four of them engraved with Swift names, in brass cannisters. The last one is not engraved but it is holded in a Swift brass cannister. There are some other accessories but, although from the same era, they are probably not original from this microscope.

Microscope maximun height with both extended, eye tubes and focus column, is 61 cm (see pic tocompare with another Swift portable microscope). Case dimensions are 27x24x32 cm. Weight set is over 11 kg unpacked.

James Powell Swift (1828-1906), son of Thomas Swift, watchmaker, apprendiced with Andrew Ross. In 1854, aged 26 years old, he set up his own workshop at 15 Kingland Rd. In 1870 he changed his location to 28 City Rd. This, and the fact that the serial number is 1555, makes me believe it was made around 1865.

US buyers will have to add 15% tariff

Shipping to UE is 50€, UK 75€ and worldwide 120€