Beschreibung:

A Victorian lacquered brass binocular compound microscope Smith and Beck, London, mid 19th century The bifurcated tube with rack and pinion coarse and fine screw focus adjustment just above the objective, the stage fitted with screw positioning subject table and the underside with pivoted plano-concave mirror, the curved limb pivoted via axis support behind the stage onto a column-turned upright and triform platform foot signed Smith & Beck, 6. Coleman St., LONDON to front, in original mahogany box with four objective lens canisters, two pairs of eyepiece lenses, twin nosepiece, bullseye light condenser lens on stand, Lieberkühn attachment, Wenham’s substage paraboloid, limb mounted condenser and numerous other accessories, the box 43cm (17ins) high excluding brass handle. James Smith worked from 50 Ironmonger Row, London from 1839 took on Richard Beck (the nephew of J. J. Lister inventor of the achromatic microscope) firstly as an apprentice but later as a partner to form Smith & Beck now working from 6 Coleman St. London. This partnership would last from 1847-1856 before Richard Beck's brother Joseph Beck joined the company in 1851 having already apprenticed at Troughton & Simms and by 1857 he too became a partner now forming Smith, Beck & Beck. James Smith retired from the company in 1865, from then on it would be known as R. & J. Beck and moved to new premises at 31 Cornhill, London. Condition report disclaimer