This compound monocular is a Spencer Model 44 with coarse and fine focus, curved arm, double nosepiece, square stage, inclination joint, sub-stage condenser and diaphragm, sub-stage mirror (this is missing), horseshoe base, and wooden box. The inscription reads “SPENCER / BUFFALO / USA / 47339.” The serial number indicates a date of 1918.
The Spencer Lens Co. boasted in 1920 that the No. 44 was “the most popular of all Spencer Microscopes. Thousands are now in daily use in medical and general laboratories, also by physicians.” In 1930, it claimed that the No. 44 was “the most popular of all Spencer microscopes for routine work in the laboratory of the hospital, medical school, or general practitioner.” It was “simple in design and durable in construction,” and “fully meets all standard requirements.”
Ref: Spencer Lens Co., Catalog of Spencer Microscopes, Microtomes and Accessories (Buffalo, 1920), pp. 32-33.
Spencer Lens Co., Catalogue (Buffalo, N.Y., 1930), p. 17.
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