PILLISCHER STUDENT MICROSCOPE
c. 1860s
SIGNED:Pillischer, London, No, 1215
SERIAL NUMBER: 1215
Author and Collection of: Jurriaan de Groot
Editor: Joseph Zeligs
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DESCRIPTION:
This bar-limb microscope is based on a small Y-shaped foot with twin straight uprights. It is signed:Pillischer, London, No, 1215
.This serial number would date it to about 1865.
Coarse focus is by rack and pinion with the older-style horizontal cut. Fine focus is via a long lever acting on the nosepiece, moved via a knob on the bar-arm, acting against the sprung resistance of the nosepiece.
The tube is 120 mm long and screws into the bar for dis-assembly. There is a draw-tube.
There is a manual stage which has a slide rest that is moveable and sits on two tracks on the stage, allowing movement in the forward/backward direction. At the end of the right sided track is a receptacle for the stage forceps or other accessories.
The sub-stage consists of a brass ring to accept substage accessories such as a condenser, a wheel of apertures, or polarizer. The plano-concave gimballed mirror measures 49 mm in diameter.
The nicely finished dovetailed hardwood case is the original for this microscope. The microscope tube stores horizontally in the case and there are fittings in the case for the disassembled bullseye bench condenser, stage forceps, live box, and eyepiece. The case has a drawer with a bone or ivory pull. There is a
heavy brass handle on top of the case. The door has a three-holed fitting for two objective cans, and an analyzer.
DIMENSIONS:
The foot measures 4 ½ x 5 ½ inches.
ACCESSORIES:
Accessories now with the microscope include 2 objectives as follows:
- 1 inch Pillischer in original can
– 1/4 inch Pillischer in original can
In addition there is a Bench condenser, stage forceps, single eyepiece of approximately 8x magnification, substage polarizer, nosepiece analyzer, livebox, watch glass and a small brass tweezers. This microscope would have originally come with a wheel of apertures to slide into the substage sleeve, but this is now missing.
The present owner has added a number of slides as retailed by M. Pillischer, Optician 88 New Bond Street, London.
CONDITION:
This microscope is in overall good optical, mechanical and cosmetic condition, with some lacquer losses and scuffs that are not disturbing. The case is in excellent condition with original lock and key.
