An Exceptionally Fine Powell & Lealand "No. 1" Compound Microscope, English, dated 1871, signed in script to the top of the bar-limb ‘POWELL & LEALAND, 170 Euston Road, London’, of standard No.1 construction standing on a massive lacquered tripod base with rectangular feet each with cork pads, trunnions to the top supporting the body, with large plano-concave mirror to the base as typically supported on one side at the end of an articulated arm sliding on a collar, above which is the fully mechanical stage with X & Y control via screw and rotation controlled through a crown and gear, with focusing via rack and pinion to the rear, with full circuit stage, silver circular scale and vernier, rotation controlled via a crown and gear mechanism that can be disengaged for quick movement, with large Turrel-type mechanical stage with X-Y control, main course focus to rear of body, bar-limb incorporating fine focus lever mechanism, nose piece with prism blanking plate, limb with threaded boss to accept binocular or monocular tubes, the microscope comes with the following accessories:
Accessory box 1
Constructed of French polished mahogany with brass hooks to the front this set contains:
A 4in objective & can, objective engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 1 1/2in objective & can, objective unsigned.
A 1/2in Apo A.A. 0.64 objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 2/3in objective & Can, objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 1/10in objective & Can, objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 1/4in Dry N.A 0.94 objective & Can, objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 1/4in Water Imm N.A 1.26 objective & Can, objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 1/6in Oil Imm N.A 1.5 No.3 objective & Can, objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 1/8in Apo N.A 0.98 No.26 objective & Can, objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 1/12in Apo Oil Imm N.A 1.4 No.158 objective & Can, objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 1/16in Oil Imm N.A 1.43 No.17 objective & Can, objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 1/16in Imm objective & Can, objective engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’with 1/16 dry Lens in a separate can.
A 1/20in Oil Imm N.A 1.26 No.36 objective & Can, objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A 1/25in Oil Imm N.A 1.38 No.18 objective & Can, objective and can engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
A substage objective holder.
A substage ‘chromatic oil condenser’ engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND’.
Pair of medium power binocular eyepieces.
High power eyepiece.
High power eyepiece.
High power eyepiece.
High power eyepiece marked E 0.44”.
High power eyepiece marked F 0.25”.
Micrometer eyepiece.
A vertical illuminator in a can engraved ‘Smith, Beck & Beck, London’ and engraved ‘99’.
A vertical illuminator engraved ‘Powell & Lealand, Patent 21’.
A sub-stage polariser.
A Tourmaline Objective analyser.
A set of substage selenites in rotating holders.
A Nicol prism analyser.
A Tourmaline eyepiece cap.
A large polished section of quartz crystal.
A set of stage forceps.
Accessory box 2
Constructed of French polished mahogany with brass hooks to the front this set contains:
A substage apochromatic condenser engraved ‘POWELL & LEALAND N.A.1.4’.
A set of patch stops in a can for the aforementioned condenser.
A substage spot condenser.
A substage Wenham-type parabolic condenser.
A Substage hemispherical-type illuminator.
A Substage mirror.
An erector lens.
An aluminium ‘bent’ objective changer.
An eyepiece Lucida.
A cased binocular prism engraved ‘For Low Powers & Opaque Objects’.
A cased binocular prism engraved ‘Powell & Lealand No.57 Patent’.
A large Ramsden-type eyepiece micrometer engraved ‘ROSS LONDON’.
A side reflector.
A live box.
A fish plate.
A Beck-type compressor.
An adjustable compressor.
Main Cabinet
Constructed of French polished mahogany with large brass handle, hooks, lock and key, as well as the microscope and two boxes of accessories the cabinet contains;
A cased Apertometer Nach ABBE, in a red Moroccan leather covered case signed to the edge ‘c.Zeiss Jena’, with an objective and objective mount, apertometer constructed of glass with paper scale to edge.
A cased Beck-type opaque disk rotator outfit, with lift out brass frame containing interchangeable pegs, rotator in the base of the case with fusee chain mechanism, with set of peg forceps in original French polished case.
A Sorby-type microspectroscope signed ‘ROSS LONDON’ with rack and pinion focusing, mirror on adjustable arm to side.
A large brass condenser base to accept; a large prism for monochromatic light; a large bullseye condenser, a tube support.
A monocular body tube.
Two eyepiece extension collars.
A steel bar for adjusting the microscope.
Dimensions: main case height 55cm.
Notes:
The opaque disk rotator has a coat of arms for ‘Edwin Clark’ with the moto TESTUS IGNE, possibly the engineer Edwin Clarke FRAS (1814-1894) who built the Anderton Boat Lift.
The microscope comes with a clipping from the Antiques Trade Gazette from 1976, which claims that this microscope was bought for a then, record sum, of £1500.00 from a sale at T. R. G. Lawrence and son, Crewkerne.Condition Report:4in – cosmetically good, lenses good and clear2/3in - cosmetically good, lenses good and clear1 1/2in - cosmetically good, lenses good and clear1/4in - cosmetically good, correction collar good, lenses good and clear4/10 - cosmetically good, correction collar good, lenses good and clear1/4in – NA 0.94 - cosmetically good, correction collar good, lenses good and clear1/6in - cosmetically good, correction collar good, lenses clear½ NA 0.64 Apo - cosmetically good, lenses good and clear1/12 NA 1.4 Apo - cosmetically good, correction collar good, lenses good minor cloud could be dust. 1/8 NA .98 Apo - cosmetically good, correction collar good, lens at rear slightly clouded1/16 Oil Imm - cosmetically good, correction collar good, rear cell with some delamination but clear.1/16 - cosmetically good, correction collar good, lenses good and clear1/20 - cosmetically good, correction collar good, lenses good and clear1/25 - cosmetically good, correction collar good, lenses good and clearLow power binocular prism in very good and clean condition with no issuesHigh power binocular prism in very good and clean condition with no issues