This is a 19th century Masterpiece microscope made by Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. New York, Rochester NY, Chicago with Serial number 39875. It is a collector's item of the highest quality with interesting provenance. The microscope is constructed largely of highly finished heavy brass with top of the line optics.
The horseshoe type base is extra heavy brass to allow stability with microscope at full inclination. The pillar, consists of a rectangular massive brass column to support the body. A screw with a leaver topped with an ivory cover which serves to tighten or loosen the connections between the stage and body and allow for inclination. The Optical system consists of a brass Body tube with revolving double nose-piece, a Nickel-Chrome plated Draw tube graduated in single millimeters to 220 mm. The tube is adjustable in a cloth lined sleeve and is fitted with a single ocular and two objectives. The tubes are large 30mm in diameter, especially-constructed to permit a large cone of light to pass from the objective. Optical adjustments: Coarse adjustment by diagonal rack and pinion, moving a long prismatic slide accurately fitted, attached to the body. Fine adjustment by micrometer-screw silvered and graduated with 100 divisions, each representing a motion of the objective of 1/100 mm. This mechanism is based on Bausch's U.S. patent No. 577344 from Feb 16, 1897. The Revolving Slide Stage is 100mm (4 inch) in diameter. It is made of brass plate fitted with vulcanite top. Two stage clips hold the glass slide. Substage parts contain the Condenser lens, Iris diaphragm and mirror. The condenser is a Trapezoidal type with a large range of magnifying power from 30 to 800 diameters. Both condenser and diaphragm are attached to the upper substage and can be moved vertically or swing horizontally. The mirror is double-sided with the frame made of brass. It is attached to a swinging arm on the lower sustage and may be brought to any obliquity.
The well-known Bausch & Lomb optical company was founded by two German immigrants, John J. Bausch (1830-1926) and Henry Lomb (1828-1908). Although their association dates back to 1850, they did not formally establish a partnership until 1866. Beginning with the manufacture of eyeglass frames, they gradually expanded their lines of production to include reading glasses and pocket microscopes. In 1874, they produced their first compound microscope. By 1900, Bausch & Lomb had become the leading American manufacturer of microscopes and the third largest in the world after Ernst Leitz and Carl Zeiss.
The provenance of this microscope will be provided privately.
The horseshoe type base is extra heavy brass to allow stability with microscope at full inclination. The pillar, consists of a rectangular massive brass column to support the body. A screw with a leaver topped with an ivory cover which serves to tighten or loosen the connections between the stage and body and allow for inclination. The Optical system consists of a brass Body tube with revolving double nose-piece, a Nickel-Chrome plated Draw tube graduated in single millimeters to 220 mm. The tube is adjustable in a cloth lined sleeve and is fitted with a single ocular and two objectives. The tubes are large 30mm in diameter, especially-constructed to permit a large cone of light to pass from the objective. Optical adjustments: Coarse adjustment by diagonal rack and pinion, moving a long prismatic slide accurately fitted, attached to the body. Fine adjustment by micrometer-screw silvered and graduated with 100 divisions, each representing a motion of the objective of 1/100 mm. This mechanism is based on Bausch's U.S. patent No. 577344 from Feb 16, 1897. The Revolving Slide Stage is 100mm (4 inch) in diameter. It is made of brass plate fitted with vulcanite top. Two stage clips hold the glass slide. Substage parts contain the Condenser lens, Iris diaphragm and mirror. The condenser is a Trapezoidal type with a large range of magnifying power from 30 to 800 diameters. Both condenser and diaphragm are attached to the upper substage and can be moved vertically or swing horizontally. The mirror is double-sided with the frame made of brass. It is attached to a swinging arm on the lower sustage and may be brought to any obliquity.
The well-known Bausch & Lomb optical company was founded by two German immigrants, John J. Bausch (1830-1926) and Henry Lomb (1828-1908). Although their association dates back to 1850, they did not formally establish a partnership until 1866. Beginning with the manufacture of eyeglass frames, they gradually expanded their lines of production to include reading glasses and pocket microscopes. In 1874, they produced their first compound microscope. By 1900, Bausch & Lomb had become the leading American manufacturer of microscopes and the third largest in the world after Ernst Leitz and Carl Zeiss.
The provenance of this microscope will be provided privately.
George N. Saegmuller moved the business of Fauth & Co., G. N. Saegmuller, Prop. from Washington, D. C. to Rochester, New York in May 1905, opening in Rochester in June 1905. The new company, Bausch, Lomb, Saegmuller, apparently continued using the same serial number sequence as had been employed at Fauth & Co., with a transfer of name somewhere between serial number 2,400 and 2,600. The serial number transition between Bausch, Lomb, Saegmuller and the Triple Alliance instruments, which took place on January 1, 1908, took place at about serial number 6,750, although it seems extremely doubtful that Bausch, Lomb, Saegmuller produced more than 4,000 instruments in two and a half years. No explanation can be given for this disparity at this time, unless Bausch, Lomb, Saegmuller also numbered all its military output with its serial numbers. (Later military production used different serial numbers.)
Bausch & Lomb serial numbers The list of production numbers Bausch & Lomb, completed by Steve Stayton, published by kind permission of the author Page Back Page (1) 2.
Up to 1942 Bausch & Lomb, Rochester USA used a numerical scheme when all of a sudden then they changed it to some cryptic two letter + digits scheme. As far as I know only the first letter is significant for the production date, the second is a code class for lenses, microscopes etc. The decoding is a s follows: A 1941 G 1963 N 1962 V 1944. Bausch & Lomb - Microscope Makers J.J. Bausch was born in Germany, in 1830, and emigrated to America in 1849. Henry Lomb, born in Germany in 1828, also emigrated to America in the same year. Meeting in Rochester, NY, these two men started a spectacle making business, and, in 1866, started the Vulcanite Optical Instrument Co., to make hard.
The highest recorded serial number on a Bausch & Lomb surveying instrument is just over 12,000 on an instrument owned by Bausch & Lomb. If Bausch & Lomb manufactured instruments under its own name for a ten year period, the output would be approximately 550 instruments per year, but it must be noted that some instruments have two serial numbers. For example, the trough compasses on Bausch & Lomb's plane table alidades are also serial numbered. As a result, it's most probably fair to say that Bausch & Lomb's output averaged about 400-500 instruments per year. ~Thomas Garver
Approximate Year of Manufacture for Surveying Instrument:
1908 6750
1909 7600
1910 8200
