Microscope
Microscope
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- Description
- Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894), noted physician and author, designed this microscope stand for use in the classes he taught at the Harvard Medical School. It was light-weight, rugged, and relatively-inexpensive, and could be passed from one student to another. It was introduced in 1875, proved fairly popular, and remained on the market for about fifteen years.
- A comparison of contemporary advertisements and extant examples shows several minor variations. In our example, the wooden base is shaped like an elongated figure-eight, and the microscope stands on an oval riser. The lamp is missing. A brass tag on the base is inscribed “James W. Queen & Co. / Philadelphia New York” and “Holmes.”
- Ref: James W. Queen & Co., Priced and Illustrated Catalogue of Optical Instruments (Philadelphia, 1883), p. 112.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- microscope
- date made
- 1875-1890
- maker
- Queen and Company
- Physical Description
- brass (microscope material)
- wood (microscope material)
- iron (microscope material)
- brown (overall color)
- green (overall color)
- black (overall color)
- wood (case material)
- Measurements
- microscope: 26.6 cm x 10.5 cm x 30 cm; 10 1/2 in x 4 1/8 in x 11 13/16 in
- case: 29.2 cm x 18.3 cm x 33.1 cm; 11 1/2 in x 7 3/16 in x 13 1/16 in
- ID Number
- MG.327631
- accession number
- 268279
- catalog number
- 327631
- Credit Line
- Rutgers University, Department of Physics
- subject
- Science & Scientific Instruments
- See more items in
- Medicine and Science: Medicine
- Science & Mathematics
- Microscopes
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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