Description

Standing 12 inches tall, this simple/ compound microscope has unusual form and function. Created by William Moginie c.1860, it incorporates elegant form and function.  Having a pair of turned brass legs in front to add stability (tripod design), a single sided 1 1/2 inch mirror, 4 inch bevelled glass stage insert, this field instrument has the option of compound use with a single “female” 1 1/2 inch signed objective in canister, a simple lens to be inserted from the underside (threads worn) and two simple drop in objectives to be used in simple format for examination of flora and fauna ( 3 and 2 inch with estimated magnification of 5-10 X). Flawless rack and pinion coarse focussing with large knurled knobs. The round stage insert has NO chips or scratches.

The mahogany case, with carrying handle measures 16 x 7 x 7 inches and has a draw with live box and vertical space for the objectives, bench condenser and body tube. I suspect the microscope could have had a smaller case for field work as the sliding mahogany base has a hole that could have incorporated the body tube such that it may have packed down to half of it’s erected state (will look for this secondary “Society of Arts” type case among my spares).  Having most of it’s original lacquer, the area of wear was on the limb of this bar limb style microscope, so I stripped off the streaky lacquer and the arm will darken with time to a mellow patina (does not detract).

William Moginie (1828-1881) joined the RMS in 1866 and designed a travelling field/botanical folding naturalist’s microscope for Charles Baker which catapulted his career through sales of this ingenious instrument in both tri leg and cruciform models.