Description: A monocular field microscope constructed of brass which has been lacquered and housed in its original box of mahogany having a tapered slot to receive the scope and stabilize it.

History: Whoever at the seaside has not had a microscope and an aquarium has yet to learn what the highest pleasures of the seaside are. So said Herbert Spencer, an eminent British intellectual, in 1860. And he was not alone. In the United States, the Ladies' Repository announced that health, recreation, and information "combine in making a Summer holiday at the sea-side one of the most delightful passages of every-day life," adding that a microscope at the sea-side affords "rare revelations of the wisdom and skill of the Creator." While any microscope might do, some were designed specifically for this purpose. These tended to be simple, inexpensive, and small enough to fit in one's pocket.

Provenance: N/A

Dimensions: Weight (Pounds & Ounces) = 0.5 | Height(in) = 2 | Width(in) = 5 | Depth(in) = 2.6

Size of Artwork(in): 4.25" tall microscope

Artist Name: Unknown

Medium: Brass, wood

Circa: C. 1880

Excellent noting nearly all original lacquer, small split near one hinge inside.