Withering Microscope, Unique Type
Stock Number: FG_23002
£1500
This is a unique type, probably a one-off, of Withering's second class of botanical microscope.
Circa
1800
Country of manufacture
UK and Ireland
Description
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 taxonomic work and systematic classification of Carl Linnæus (1707-1778), Withering (1776) applied the Linnaean taxonomic 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. More about this pattern can be seen here: https://www.microscopehistory.com/withering-1785
This later design has an all-metal stand that collapses into the wooden case and lacks the printed instructions page glued into the inner part of it.
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Dealer information
Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh was the mythological hero of the cultures of ancient West Asia, who set out on a journey in which he sought youth and eternal life.
Fleaglass Gilgamesh is located in Israel. As an archaeologist researching the material culture of the distant past and using the microscope as a major research tool, for more than two decades I have collected microscopes from the first 300 years of existence of this amazing tool and researched the cultural context of their use. Passion has become an obsession and I cultivate the full and almost unique West Asian collection of historical microscopes. Respectively, I put up for sale surplus or interesting items from the collection. I would be happy to advise any interested collector free of charge. Needless to say, I would love to send photos, information and bibliographic references, and discuss the sale details of the items offered here for sale.
