Description

Offered for sale is a really good example of an antique monocular brass microscope by London makers C. Baker of High Holborn, London with the instrument dating to around the 1860 period.  The condition is generally very good, with only a few age and use appropriate signs of wear to the finish on the instrument (on the main optical tube most noticeably) and it has just the right time worn look to its lacquered finish and brass-work for a 166 year old antique instrument.  Being a large microscope with quite an imposing sense of scale (and weight), it’s also a good proposition for display, say on a desk-top or other suitable setting such as a home office, especially when set up with an antique slide.  It’s also perfectly usable producing some nice bright images at low and medium magnification with its current set of optics.

Background to C. Baker, London – source Microscope Museum

The business of Baker was founded in London in about 1765, Charles Baker, who was born in 1820, giving his name to the company from about 1851. When Charles Baker died in 1894 the firm continued under the same name but run by the Curties family until it became, in 1936, Charles Baker & Co. and subsequently, sometime in the 1940s, C. Baker Ltd. The firm’s address mostly given as 244 High Holborn, London (but sometimes 243 and 245, sometimes in combination). The firm produced optical and surgical instruments. In 1963, Vickers acquired the C Baker Ltd microscope factory and a new company called Vickers Instruments was formed. The microscope in this listing is signed with ‘BAKER, 244 High Holborn, London’ and appears to be be a version of Baker’s compound microscope No. 2. The instrument isn’t numbered and dates to c. 1860.  See copy from Baker’s 1858 catalogue in the listing photos.

Turning to the main technical details of this fine Victorian monocular bar-limb microscope, we have the following:

1)  Y-shaped tripod foot construction in laquered brass and large twin uprights to pivot, with bar-limb form and lacquered brass finishes to the upper parts of the instrument.  The microscope is inclinable, holds position well on adjustment and can be manually tightened at the pivot point as may be required.

2)  A monocular eyepiece unit with a top-hat eyepiece giving around 6x magnification.  The instrument doesn’t appear to have an eyepiece draw-tube, which is not unusual and even without one, it stands some 18 inches high in its working configuration.

3)  The instrument’s main coarse focus is controlled by a set of large thumb-wheels with smooth action.  The bar-limb design comprises a triangular section coarse focus in large pinion box.  The coarse focus has the older style straight cut rack, which supports dating to around the 1860 period.  Travel and focus are both very good with positive feel and good tightness with the optical tube holding in position as it should throughout its working range.  Fine focus is via a single brass thumb-wheel at the rear of the optical tube positioned on the bar, acting on the nose-piece only, that also has a smooth action being freshly lubricated.

4)  There’s two brass objectives lenses as under:

– 1 inch in brass by C. Baker – about 6x magnification
– Unmarked brass lens but will be about 1/6th inch giving 40x magnification
(both objectives have brass canisters)

The objective lens and eyepieces supplied therefore provide an effective magnification of around 36x and 240x and it’s pleasing to note the RMS fitment, so plenty of other objectives should also fit the instrument. 

5)  The stage is of a square design in brass with some signs of surface patination to the top-plate, which also rotates and will complete a full 360 degree rotation.  There’s mechanical adjustment for both x and y-axes, with smooth movement from the straight-cut rack & pinion and screw adjustment mechanisms.  It’s currently fitted with a ledge for holding slides which works well, along with a couple of sockets for stage clips or stage tools.

6)  Sub-stage there’s a plug-in condenser lens that friction fits into a brass mount.  The brass mount is 39mm diameter and fits in its own dovetail sub-stage mount, with easy removal as required.

7)  Lighting is provided by a large plano-concave mirror in a brass carrier that sits in a gimbal mount slider fitted to the limb tail-piece, with height & swing adjustment and silvering in very good condition to both sides and reflectivity that’s perfectly adequate.
 

In summary, this is a really nice clean and rather substantial example of an antique monocular bar-limb design No. 2 compound microscope from the Victorian period by C. Baker, that’s in very good condition for its age.  This example may therefore appeal to collectors as well as specialists seeking a quality brass instrument for use and/or display from a good English maker.  

The instrument does not have a case and it’s interesting to note that a former owner was the Inland Revenue Service, with markings on the main optical tube and also on the eyepiece to this effect.

For shipping, the instrument and case will be very well packed and dispatched by insured courier upon receipt of cleared funds.  

Thanks for looking.