

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
Carl Zeiss, Jena, Stativ Va, 1882, used by Dr. Henri van Heurck
This is an early Zeiss compound microscope with the serial number 5340, dating back to 1882. The microscope, known as Zeiss Stativ Va, was originally sold to Henri van Heurck on April 24, 1882, along with four Zeiss eyepieces numbered 1, 2, 3, and 5, but without an objective. Henri-Ferdinand van Heurck (1839 - 1909), the renowned Belgian botanist and microscopist, was known for his work on diatoms and was in contact with major instrument makers in Germany, France, and the UK.


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The instrument shown here, serial number 5340, was originally sold to Dr. Henri van Heurck of Antwerp on April 24, 1882, along with four Zeiss eyepieces numbered 1, 2, 3, and 5, but without any objective. Instead, van Heurck added four objectives from the Parisian Nachet company, marked as 3, 5, 6, and 10 oil immersion, along with a magnification table on which he added his signature. All these lenses are preserved in the case. The microscope has, therefore, been preserved in its original configuration personally selected by the original owner according to the original sales records of the Carl Zeiss Archives.
The Zeiss microscope tripod Va features a fixed tube length made of lacquered and blackened or black lacquered brass, as well as blued steel. It is similar to the “Continental microscope” from the second half of the 19th century. Coarse focusing can be adjusted by sliding the optical tube through its sleeve, and fine adjustment is made using a knurled wheel on the column. It originally included a complete Abbe illumination apparatus with plane and concave mirrors, five circular aperture diaphragms, and a star diaphragm for darkfield illumination. As an alternative to Abbe's illumination apparatus, a simple apparatus was included, which consists of a five-bearing mirror for movement outside the optical axis and the appropriate cylinder diaphragm on slides.

In Zeiss catalogue No. 25 (1881): Illustrated catalogue of microscopes and auxiliary equipment from the optical workshop of Carl Zeiss in Jena, this model appears together with the optional “No. 38 revolver for four objectives, with the narrow thread of Zeiss objectives…" and "No. 66 Illumination apparatus according to Abbe condenser with a large aperture, with diaphragm apparatus and double mirror; for all… only suitable for the larger stands from I to Va”. Undoubtedly van Heurck gave up this apparatus, as well as the Abbe condenser (fit for the Zeiss optics) because he preferred the objectives made by the Nachet company that these accessories wouldn’t fit.


All this testifies to Van Heurck as a professional microscopist who customized his microscope to fit his specific needs by combining products from different top European manufacturers. His expertise is evident in his famous book The Microscope and in the later development of the high-quality microscope model that was named after him by the British Watson Company, produced from the late 19th century through the first decades of the 20th century.
Van Heurk and the diatoms
A. van Leeuwenhoek observed diatoms as early as 1702. The first taxonomy of diatoms was created in the Netherlands by R. B. van den Bosch in 1846 and in Flanders by J.-J. Kickx in 1867. By the second half of the nineteenth century, diatoms were already being used in geological research. H. van Heurck's "Synopsis," published between 1880 and 1885, enabled many twentieth-century researchers to conduct applied studies for geological and ecological purposes. Henri Van Heurck's book, first published in 1896, begins with an introduction to the structure, life history, and classification of diatoms. It includes detailed instructions on how to collect, cultivate, and prepare diatoms for study. The author also provides a comprehensive overview of various methods and tools used in diatom analysis, including microscopy, staining, and chemical treatments. The book is richly illustrated with detailed drawings and photographs of diatoms, along with examples of their habitats and environments. This seminal work remains an important reference for anyone interested in studying diatoms, their ecology, and their role in the natural world.
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