Withering-type botanical microscope, 1780
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 taxonomical work and systematic classification of Carl Linnæus (1707-1778), Withering (1776) applied the Linnaean taxonomical 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. The earliest reference to a small botanical microscope of Withering’s design appeared in the first edition of this book. There, Withering indicated this microscope was developed for field dissections of flowers and other plant parts. While there is no surviving example of this exact design, close relatives of this type do exist, made either completely of brass or of ivory with brass pillars. Ivory models can be tentatively dated to 1776-1785, as by 1787 a newer model with a hollowed stage in an all-brass configuration already predominated. In turn, it was preceded by the brief appearance of a transitional brass model but with solid stage of ivory or horn (seen here). This version is extremely rare and must have been produced in very small numbers. By 1787 all these varieties were not recorded anymore in the literature.
Withering-type botanical microscope, 1780
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 taxonomical work and systematic classification of Carl Linnæus (1707-1778), Withering (1776) applied the Linnaean taxonomical 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. The earliest reference to a small botanical microscope of Withering’s design appeared in the first edition of this book. There, Withering indicated this microscope was developed for field dissections of flowers and other plant parts. While there is no surviving example of this exact design, close relatives of this type do exist, made either completely of brass or of ivory with brass pillars. Ivory models can be tentatively dated to 1776-1785, as by 1787 a newer model with a hollowed stage in an all-brass configuration already predominated. In turn, it was preceded by the brief appearance of a transitional brass model but with solid stage of ivory or horn (seen here). This version is extremely rare and must have been produced in very small numbers. By 1787 all these varieties were not recorded anymore in the literature.
References: SML: A242712; Goren 2014.
References: SML: A242712; Goren 2014.
Prof. Yuval Goren's Collection of the History of the Microscope
R. Field & Son, "Society of Arts" prize, from 1854
The design for this small, yet efficient English bar-limb microscope was created in response to a prize offered by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce. The prize aimed to encourage the development of a compact, compound microscope that could be sold for 3 guineas. In 1854, the prize was awarded to the firm of Robert Field & Son of Birmingham, which sold the microscope for three guineas, including two objectives, two eyepieces, a bull’s eye lens, a live box, stage forceps, and a mahogany case. As a condition of the prize, the firm was required to maintain the price and keep the microscopes in stock for sale. Despite Robert Field's efforts to control costs, the firm went bankrupt in 1880. The design of the microscope gained popularity and was widely copied by other makers, although they were not constrained by the three-guinea price. Robert Field expressed dissatisfaction with his competitors advertising their instruments as the "Society of Arts Prize." This microscope, commonly known as the “Society of Arts Prize” microscope, was the first attempt to produce an affordable microscope of reasonable quality. While it did not have the capabilities of a serious research microscope, it made microscopy accessible to students, amateurs, and a wider range of scientists. The original model can be distinguished by the signature "Robert Field & Son Birmingham.
The two examples shown here represent two stages in the production of microscopes by Robert Field and Sons: early and late. In the earlier model, the production quality is higher. The brass parts are made of thicker metal, the lenses (eyepiece and objectives) are of better quality, the optical tube has a fine focus adjustment knob (which disappeared in the later model), and the rack and pinion system and the milled buttons that drive it are made more durable. On the other hand, the stage of the later model is embossed with the words "Society of Arts Prize" on the front of the stage. All of these changes represent the manufacturer's desperate attempts to lower production costs and compete with the many copies flooding the market by other manufacturers, who were not bound by the commitment to the price of three guineas.
References: Billings: P. 209, Fig. 405, AFIP 709643-68-8625-6; SML: 25/144; Whipple:, 3191; George: 03-04.