Description

Offered for sale is a collectable example of a compact, cased antique monocular brass microscope by quality makers Moritz Pillischer Opticians of London.   The instrument is numbered 4064,and will date to around sometime in the 1880s.

Background to M Pillischer Opticians

Moritz Pillischer emigrated from Hungary to London in 1845, where he began producing microscopes and other scientific and mathematical instruments from about 1849 onwards.  Moritz’s nephew James moved to London around 1860 to work for his uncle and later became Moritz’s son-in-law, after marrying one of his daughters. Pillischer did not make his own lenses until 1854, initially providing French-made objectives with his instruments. There were a number of different models produced by Pillisher over the active period, including the following:

– The Lenticular microscope – an early c1850s portable instrument
– The Kosmos microscope – a well-specified Lister-limb model normally in monocular configuration
– The International microscope – a compact bar-limb design – this example
– The Improved Medical microscope
– The Student model – forerunner of the Improved Medical model

Moritz Pillischer was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society in 1855 and joined the Quekett Microscopical Club in 1869. By 1881, Moritz had moved to Hove, Sussex, although he retained ownership of the Pillischer optical business. He handed over ownership of the business to his son-in-law in 1887 and passed away at his Sussex home in 1893. James joined the Quekett Microscopical in 1895, and the Royal Microscopical Society in 1898. After James’ death in 1930, the company was inherited by his three children, Edward, Leopold, and Bertha and the business was eventually liquidated in 1947. 

This example of a Pillischer monocular instrument is known as the International Microscope and will probably date to the early to mid 1880s – there’s an image from Antique Microscopes in the listing photos showing this model’s 1876 advertisement in the Lancet. The same site also explains why this model is called the International – the name deriving from the fact that the main tube is of standard English length but can be drawn out to continental standard length via the eyepiece draw-tube – hence the moniker fits.  It’s in original condition and presents really well with some gleaming brass-work details and lovely age-appropriate patination.  It’s survived pretty well over the last 140 years or so and the brass-work still glints when its catches the light and I hope that the listing photos do the instrument justice.  

The instrument’s look and feel is of a quality not found in modern microscopes in that’s it’s fashioned from solid brass, giving it a weighty feel despite its compact size and a definite presence when extended for use with draw-tube and coarse focus racked out.

Technical details – the construction is a Y-shaped foot with twin uprights supporting a pivot and a bar-limb arrangement.  The foot has a fabric under-layer thereby allowing use on a polished surface or desk-top.  Coarse focus is by rack and pinion with the older-style horizontal cut and square section slider, which has quite a smooth action and holds in position as it should through its working range.  Fine focus is achieved via a small brass thumb-wheel located on the bar being a vernier screw mechanism which also works as it should. 

In terms of its optics, this microscope has an eyepiece draw-tube with smooth action that holds in position on adjustment and it’s supplied with a 6x magnification period eyepiece which produces bright age-appropriate images.

It’s currently got two brass objective lenses and a double turret.  It’s important to note that the instrument has RMS thread, so there’s plenty of other objectives that will also fit this instrument.  The supplied objectives by Pillischer are as follows:

– 2/3rds inch – 10x magnification
– 1/6th inch – 40x magnification

The magnification range currently available therefore is around 60x to 240x with the draw-tube set at standard length, plus this will increase as you extend the draw-tube – you also have to re-focus on your specimen.  I have tested the optics with some slides of diatom strews and the images are perfectly acceptable when using good illumination.

The instrument tilts for inclined viewing and holds in position through its working range as it should.  The all-brass specimen stage currently has a single clip for holding specimens which works well.

Turning to the sub-stage, we have a wheel-of-stops with 5 positions and aperture sizes available and an indicator giving a subtle click when each aperture is correctly aligned.  Lighting is via a plano-concave mirror in a brass gimbal mount with swing and rotation adjustment, with period silvering in excellent to both sides.

The instrument has been sensitively cleaned and also lightly lubricated with non-hardening grease, so that the controls operate smoothly.  This example displays really well having quite a presence, with some lovely brass-work which still catches the light.  The instrument is also endowed pretty well all over with age and use-related patination.  Overall and owing to its compact dimensions, this example of a Pillischer International Microscope should make a great display piece, perhaps in a library or home office type of setting, especially when set up with an appropriate antique slide.  

There is also an original hardwood fitted storage case with this instrument, which is in good condition for its age with a lock & key and overall still presenting quite well.  There are a few shrinkage cracks to the top and bottom surfaces of the case.

Owing to the weight and delicacy of this antique microscope, it will be partially dismantled, carefully wrapped for shipping and dispatched by insured courier upon receipt of cleared funds.