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UNIVERSAL HOUSEHOLD MICROSCOPES

c. 1885-1890's

SIGNED: 'UNIVERSAL HOUSEHOLD MICROSCOPE', 'JAMES W. QUEEN & C^o., PHILADELPHIA

SERIAL NUMBER: none

MODEL: 'UNIVERSAL HOUSEHOLD'

DESCRIPTION:

These microscopes are small instruments with a Lister limb, and a unique foot. The foot is roughly Y-shaped with the signature of: 'UNIVERSAL HOUSEHOLD MICROSCOPE, JAMES W. QUEEN &C^o.' on the curved part of the foot. This foot is wider in the middle than that of W.Y. McAllister's version, as it needs to be to accomodate the two uprights to support the Lister limb rather than the single pillar seen in W.Y. McAllister's model.

HISTORY

The James W. Queen version of the 'Household' or 'Universal Household' microscope was made by the same French firm that made many other 'Household' microscopes. The optical tube of this scope is identical to the Walmsley, W.Y. McAllister, and Beck instruments. These instruments were pictured only in the 1885 and 1890 editions of the Queen Catalogs. They are not shown in the 1883 catalog. The history of the origin of the 'Household' microscope is shown in a separate page on this site.