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.

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Goren Collection of the History of the Microscope

Compound Microscopes, ca. 1700-1900 (by chronological order)

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Italian Compound, 1700-10

Inv. YG-18-011

French Boxfoot, ca. 1720-30

Inv. YG-19-010

Early Tripod Microscope, 1730-40

Inv. YG-18-009

Martin's Universal, 1760

Inv. YG-19-005

Cuff's Type Microscope, ca. 1760

Inv. YG-20-012

Martin's Pocket, ca. 1770

Inv. YG-13-006

Cuff-Type Chest, ca. 1780

Inv. YG-14-002

Dellebarre's Universal, ca. 1780

Inv. YG-20-029

Adams Jr. Compendium, 1780

Inv. YG-18-002

Nuremberg Tripod, ca. 1800

Inv. YG-21-018

Nuremberg "Sentry Box", ca. 1800

Inv. YG-20-036

Abraham's Tripod, 1820

Inv. YG-17-002

Jecker's Pocket, 1810

Inv. YG-20-033

"Most Improved" Type, 1810

Inv. YG-17-012

Selligue experimental, ~1820

Inv. YG-18-005

Chevalier achromatic, 1832

Inv. YG-19-006

Andrew Pritchard, 1835

Inv. YG-19-019

Cary-Gould toy microscope, 1835

Inv. YG-18-016

Ross' early bar-limb, 1849

Inv. YG-18-001

"Furnace" microscopes, 1850-90

Various inventories

Gustave Moreau, ~1850

Inv. YG-18-013

Oberhäuser's drum, 1853

Inv. YG-20-022

Georg Simon Plössl No. 1, 1854

Inv. YG-20-013

Schiek of Berlin, 1855

Inv. YG-18-007

Edward Elgar's microscope

Inv. YG-16-004

The original Society of Arts, 1855

Inv. YG-12-001

Dancer's best, ca. 1855

Inv. YG-17-001

Smith & Beck Large Best, 1856

Inv. YG-20-006

US Army Civil War model, 1863-5

Inv. YG-13-003

Baker-Moginie naturalist's, 1870

Inv. YG-20-019

A popular drum type, 1870-1900

Inv. YG-11-002

Nachet's petit modèle 1875

Inv. YG-19-023

Powell & Lealand No. 1, 1875

Inv. YG-17-007

G. & S. Merz in München, 1877

Inv. YG-19-017

Seibert Stativ IV, 1884

Inv. YG-12-003

Nachet grand modèle, 1887-95

Inv. YG-19-011

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