DESCRIPTION:

This is a fine example of one of the well-made small microscopes marketed by James Parkes & Son of Birmingham, England in the late nineteenth and early 20th c. It is signed "JA^s PARKES & SON BIRMINGHAM" on the attached brass plate on the foot. The bar-limb construction is supported in the rear by a hinged plate atteched to the foot, and the slots in front into which the limb fits. THere is only a coarse focus by sliding the optical tube in or out. There is no drawtube. The objective is divisible. The stage has two stage clips and is fitted with a wheel of apertures on the underside of the stage. THe mirror is plano on one side and convex on the other smaller side. The gimbaled mirror housing is of lacquered brass, while the gimbal and short swinging tailpiece are of oxidized brass. The finish is mostly painted black with some accents in lacquered polished brass. It came with the original case, as confirmed by other examples with the same case.

HISTORY OF PARKES MICROSCOPES

Like the large Beck 'Popular' Model of the 1860's-1890's, this smaller instrument uses a series of cutouts in the foot to fix the instrument in various angles of inclination ranging from vertical, to nearly horizontal. While the 'Popular' used a peg at the end of the limb, registering in holes in the foot, this instrument uses its extended limb directly to fit into rectangular slots. The instrument was likely made in the late 19th or early 20th century.

Some of Parkes' microscopes had the brass plate unsigned (presumably for a retailer to affix his own signature), some with the Parkes & Son signature, and some with the Parkes' trademark of an "eye." Catalogs from 1848 through 1903 are known. Parkes sold a variety of different types of scientific instruments in addition to microscopes.