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" Microscope ~1850
The design for this small and rather modest but still efficient English bar-limb microscope, dates to a prize that was offered by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce, for a compact, compound microscope that would sell for 3 guineas. The prize was awarded to the firm of Robert Field & Son of Birmingham in 1854, which sold for 3 guineas including 2 objectives, 2 eyepieces, bull’s eye lens, live box, stage forceps, and mahogany case. The firm was required to maintain the price and always have the microscopes in stock for sale. Field made numerous minor changes to try and control costs but eventually went bankrupt in 1880. Due to the popularity of the design, it was widely copied by many other makers, but they were not constrained by the 3 guinea price. Robert field often complained that his competitors advertised their instruments as "Society of Arts Prize." The “Society of Arts Prize” microscope, as this concept is often referred to, was the first attempt to produce an affordable microscope of reasonable quality. Although this instrument did not have the capabilities of a serious research microscope for bacteriology, etc., it made microscopy accessible to students and amateurs, but also to wider cycles of scientists. The model seen here is the original signed Robert Field & Son Birmingham.
This microscope is on long-term loan to the Madatech Science Museum in Haifa, Israel.
References: Billings: P. 209, Fig. 405, AFIP 709643-68-8625-6; SML: 25/144; Whipple:, 3191; George: 03-04.