Beschreibung:

A Victorian and lacquered brass ‘Stevenson’s’ compound binocular microscope John Browning and C. Collins, London, circa 1865 The tube with twin eyepieces, rack and pinion coarse and fine screw focus adjustment and inscribed John Browning, London, 422 to the bifurcated tubes above single objective fitted with Lieberkuhn, the circular stage with rotating table and the underside with sub-stage condenser and pivoted plano-concave mirror, the limb pivoted via locking axis support behind the stage between shaped plate uprights applied to a ‘Y’ shaped foot the rear engraved C. COLLINS, Optician, 77 Great Titchfield St., LONDON, minimum height 32.5cm (12.75ins); with a lacquered brass Filar micrometer ocular, John Browning, London, late 19th century the rectangular body with micrometer screw mechanism and signed John Browning, London to upper surface, 16cm (16.25ins) long, in mahogany box 16.5cm (6.5ins) wide, a bullseye light condenser lens and a candle light source each mounted via adjustable screw clamp onto a brass rod upright terminating with a loop handle and with weighted cylindrical base, each 24cm (9.5ins) high, (4). Provenance: The Maurice Gillett collection of microscopy, inventory refs. G2283, G1000, G3461 and G3463. John Browning is recorded in Banfield, Edwin BAROMETER MAKERS AND RETAILERS 1660-1900 as working from various addresses in London from 1662 until after 1900; he was ‘Optical & Physical Instrument Maker to Her Majesty’s Government, The Royal Observatory and Kew Observatory’. Charles Collins is recorded by Gillett as working from 77 Great Titchfield Street in 1867, by 1878 the business had relocated to 157 Great Portland Street; Banfield notes him as working from Titchfield Street 1863-70 and then Great Portland Street until after 1900.