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
This collection of historical microscopes started as part of my routine work. Like many collectors I have known over the years, I practice microscopy as part of my profession (in archaeology). Needing a good portable polarizing microscope for fieldwork, I started acquiring available instruments. As these proved unsatisfactory, my search was expanded to past models. At the same time I designed my dream microscope. In due time the collection has been altered to include selected milestone microscopes having significant historical importance. This is the collection's online catalog.
About myself
Goren Microscope Collection
As a professor of Archaeological Sciences, I specialize in microarhaeology (the application of microscopical and other scientific methods in archaeology) and especially the study of the technology and origin of archaeological ceramics using mineralogical and geochemical methods. I began my studies in archaeology in 1981 at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Since 1989 I was working in the Israel Antiquities Authority as their petrography researcher. In 1991 I received a doctorate from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and in 1996 I was affiliated with Tel Aviv University, where I served as Chairman of the Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. In 2016, I was invited to join the Department of Bible, Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, where I established an international academic program to study archaeological materials and heritage sciences. Over 40 years after launching my first microarchaeological laboratory, my list includes nearly 250 scientific publications.
Besides being an archaeologist, I am an enthusiastic collector and researcher of historical microscopes. Four decades of experience in microarchaeology have brought me to practice, teach and examine the use of microscopes daily. In many cases, I needed to apply microtechniques in unorthodox conditions: in the field, in remote storage facilities, in museums in my country and abroad, in archaeological excavations in remote locations and other unusual situations. As part of my job, and later as a declared hobby, I examined the history of the solutions set up over the last 200 years for the needs of scientists acting outside their labs. I published several articles on these topics. I also developed my patented, now commercially produced field microscope, which I use for my routine fieldwork.
This site is dedicated to my collection of over 100 historical microscopes, including some milestone models used by the pioneers of microscopy, microbiology, bacteriology, geology, and other scientific disciplines. It includes simple, compound pre-achromatic and achromatic landmark instruments representing the evolution of the compound microscope, and last, my design of a practical field microscope.
I will be delighted to address any legitimate comment or question.
