Antique Scientific Instruments

J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890

J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890
J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890

J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890

ANTIQUE BRASS MICROSCOPE ACME NO. 3 STAND, SN-1885, CIRCA 1890. 3 STAND SN-1885 CIRCA 1890 John W. Offered here is a superbly preserved example of their Acme No.

This particular stand was designed by one of America? S premier microscope makers, John W.

Sidle, and bears some of the unique recognizable features of that designer. This instrument also bears the serial number? Found on the leading edge of the same tripod foot (Please see the accompanying composite image that shows these inscriptions). Exact dating of the year of manufacture of this instrument is somewhat problematic because of some prevailing confusion regarding Queen?

S method of serializing its instruments. However, based on the signature found on this instrument as? This instrument appears to date to a time before the date of incorporation of the company in 1893. Abridged Catalogue of Optical Instruments, Mathematical Instruments, Physical Apparatus, Meteorological Instruments, For Sale by James W. Published in 1883, the Acme No.

3 stand was described as a? Thus, we can conservatively date this particular microscope to circa 1890 with a preference towards the late 1880s rather than the early 1890s. NOTE: For more details on the history of the Acme microscope line initially designed by John W. Sidle and offered initially by James W. And later by Queen & Co.

A full description of this model along with an illustration appears in the? Priced And Illustrated Catalogue of Microscopes And Accessories, Magnifying Glasses, Stereoscopes, Graphoscopes, Etc. Published in the year 1890. A copy of an illustration of this model instrument extracted from my personal library copy of the catalogue is included with this listing for comparison with the instrument featured here. The exact similarities to the listed microscope are readily apparent.

Based on information found in various Queen & Co. Catalogues we learn that the company made both a monocular and binocular version of this instrument and featured both a simple brass stage with slide clips and a glass topped rotating stage with slide carrier along with various substage components as options. Featured here is the monocular body tube variant with the glass topped rotating stage, triple objective nosepiece, and relatively complex substage apparatus. For the antique microscope collector? This pattern microscope represents one of several significant advances in the evolution and design of the microscope pioneered by American microscope designers and manufacturers such as John W.

As such, it will be a most welcome addition to any antique microscope collection especially since it is an antique brass microscope model that is not often seen today. 3 is perhaps the most handsome, technically refined and largest instrument in the entire line of Acme microscope models (See accompanying image that compares the height of the instrument to a standard wine bottle). T miss this unique opportunity to add this fine example of the Acme No.

3 model microscope to your collection. This microscope features a nicely sculpted lacquered brass Y-shaped tripod foot that supports a single brass pillar that rises to a compass joint. The compass joint supports a very attractive sculpted Lister-type limb of the microscope.

The limb, in turn, supports the remainder of the microscope including the stage and the body tube. The compass joint allows the microscope to be tilted at any angle from the vertical to horizontal to allow for the comfortable viewing of specimen slides or to facilitate microphotography, which was just beginning to come into vogue during circa 1890. Catalogue descriptions published by Queen make note of the fact that the tripod base is firmly attached to the pillar by an oversized thumb-nut (see accompanying image). The advantage of this arrangement is that the pillar with its attached limb and body tube may be easily rotated by the microscope user in order to support the weight to best advantage in different positions of the body tube; thus when the latter is vertical the toe of the base should be placed forward. This latter position is noted as being the best all-around position for this instrument.

Mounted forward of the compass joint is a 95mm diameter round brass rotatable stage. The entire stage is centerable in the optical axis by loosening two (2) capstan-head screws that hold the stage in position, centering the stage by hand and then tightening the screws. Note: Any appropriate small diameter Allen wrench can be used to engage the holes in the screw head to loosen or tighten these capstan-head screws. The center area of the upper brass stage plate is painted flat black and is recessed to accept a clear glass insert.

The stage plates and the glass plate insert all have a 32mm central aperture. The aperture in the lower brass stage plate is threaded, to which certain optional special accessories may be fitted, instead of to the substage bar.

The top of the stage of this instrument is designed to accommodate a moveable slide carrier that is held down to the glass plate by two (2) threaded and adjustable bone points (see close-up image that show this feature). Note: The slide carrier is missing from this instrument, but the hold-down apparatus with the original bone points is present. The substage apparatus on this instrument is moveable about the axis of the stage. It consists of a rectangular brass mirror bar attached to the lower segment of a 60mm diameter graduated brass disc that is located between the stage and the compass joint.

In turn, it is attached to a fixed brass plate that is mechanically attached to the compass joint and over which it rotates. Mounted to the upper end of the mirror bar closest to the stage is a sliding brass holder with an adjustable adapter having a central society screw (RMS thread), for the potential use of objective lenses as achromatic condensers.

However, in this case, threaded into the adapter is a domed-shaped iris diaphragm for regulating the amount of light directed to the stage. The adapter holding the iris diaphragm is able to be centered in the optical axis by loosening the capstan-head screw, which holds it into position, centering the adapter by hand, and then tightening the screw again. Completing the substage illumination apparatus is a yoke mounted 48mm diameter plano-concave mirror assembly, which is also adjustable either up or down on the mirror bar. The mirror bar, either with or without the iris diaphragm apparatus, is able to pivot about the stage on the compass joint, the axis of which lies in the plane of the stage, such that it can be adjusted to several angles below the stage for oblique illumination and even above the stage to provide incidental illumination to opaque objects (Note: Please see the accompanying composite image that shows the versatility of this arrangement). The graduated brass disc behind the stage can be used to note the degree of obliquity of the assembly. This entire setup is a modification of the patented swinging substage mirror assembly first invented by the American Optician, Joseph Zentmayer in the year 1876. The body tube of this microscope is mounted within a dovetail brass sleeve which provides a channel for coarse focus movement. The opposite side of the sleeve is attached to the front face of the limb as described below. Coarse focus is by rack and pinion with horizontal rackwork and is controlled by a pair of oversize brass milled heads mounted at the back of the limb.

The rack and pinion coarse focus adjustment is relatively long in its reach. The fine focus mechanism on this microscope is of special interest. It is especially delicate but unusually stable in its movement and is quite suitable for use with higher powers such as those used in bacteriological investigations. The body tube with its attached brass sleeve is firmly carried by a pair of metal roller bearings found within the interior of the limb on its leading face (See the accompanying image that shows the interior of the limb including the roller bearings). The sleeve is mechanically attached to a moving bar within the limb by two long screws (The accompanying image also shows the moveable bar with the screw holes that are the points of attachment for the long screws).

Thus, it is the sleeve that moves along the limb during the fine focus operation carrying the attached body tube with it. Ultimately, the body tube with its sleeve is moved by a long lever within the limb that moves the internal bar and is actuated by a spring loaded screw found at the top of the limb. The brass milled head of the screw is graduated so that measurements of the thickness of observed specimens may be made directly or by the application of a simple formula. One unique feature of the fine focus control knob on this instrument is that it has a double milled edge, between which a cord or string may be run for vibration free fine focusing when the microscope is used for microphotography (See accompanying image that shows this feature). The body tube of this microscope is equipped with a long unmarked drawtube.

At the top of the drawtube is a lacquered brass ocular holder. Included with the microscope is a single? In addition, this microscope comes with a compliment of three (3) objective lenses mounted on a triple position rotating objective holder. The objectives include a Reichert Wien No. 3 low power objective, an unmarked medium power objective, and a Bausch & Lomb Optical Co.

When the microscope stands vertical, the drawtube is nested into the body tube and the body tube is fully racked down to its lowest level, the microscope stands about 15 inches tall. When the body tube is fully racked out and the drawtube fully extended, it stands about 20 inches tall? Making for a rather large and impressive instrument. The microscope weighs about 8 pounds. There is no wood case or any other accessories that come with this instrument.

NOTE: The accompanying images are a part of this statement of condition. Please take the time to view all of the images so you can confirm the condition of the microscope and so you will know exactly what you will be getting should you prove to be the proud new owner of this fine Queen & Co. In summary, this microscope is in very good to excellent mechanical and optical condition.

Cosmetically, as a result of its restoration described in detail below, I would rate it at near to? Making it an excellent instrument for display within a collection. Following are more specifics regarding its condition and our treatment of it before listing it for sale in this venue. This instrument came to us in relatively poor cosmetic and mechanical condition (See before and after composite image). The microscope had a considerable amount of both surficial and spotty tarnish to the brass.

In addition, the stage, the swinging substage assembly, and fine focus mechanism were frozen in place due to age and tarnish and were unable to move freely as designed. So, we decided to deviate from our customary? Treatment of antique brass microscopes by completely restoring the microscope to near to its original condition. This restoration process involved breaking the microscope down into its basic components, deep cleaning the instrument using a product called? Followed by polishing of the appropriate major brass parts with a product called? Finally all brass and metal parts were cleaned using denatured alcohol and all the brass parts were carefully re-lacquered with a special lacquer formula to prevent future tarnishing. After this, the re-lacquered brass parts were heat cured in an oven at 170 degrees F for 30 minutes and then allowed to cool to room temperature.

Then the microscope was reassembled and tested. In addition, the mechanical parts were also cleaned and lubed as needed. Because the instrument as it came to us lacked a substage mirror that was likely lost over the years, we added an appropriate replacement mirror yoke and mounted plano-concave mirror from our stock of spare antique microscope parts to make for a completely functional microscope.

After cosmetic restoration there remains a 1-inch long horizontal scratch at mid-point in the pillar. The plano-concave mirror associated with this microscope is in very good condition and provides adequate illumination to the stage. However, as noted above, it is a more modern replacement and not original. In general, the optics (eyepiece and objective lenses) in this microscope are of high quality and are free of any defects. However, it was noted that the lower element of the Reichert objective has some scratches that diminish the optical quality.

The mechanics including the coarse and fine focus mechanisms are working flawlessly. The stage and swinging substage mirror assembly rotate or move freely without binding. The iris diaphragm works as designed and the iris blades are free of any significant corrosion. As is noted above, the slide carrier is missing from this instrument, but the retention apparatus with the original bone points remains.

The triple position rotating objective holder appears to be slightly bent out of alignment to the optical axis. For display purposes of the microscope, this should not be a big concern. However, should one wish to use the instrument to view prepared slides, etc.

The future owner may wish to remove the objective holder and mount any one of the objectives directly to the body tube. Overall, this is a nicely preserved and fully restored example of a Queen & Co. This antique brass microscope from circa 1890 is most certainly worthy of any antique microscope collection.

ABOUT THE ACME MICROSCOPE MODEL MICROSCOPES AND JAMES W. The Acme line of microscopes was first introduced into the American marketplace in 1879 by the optical firm of Sidle and Poalk of Philadelphia, PA. The very first microscope made by this firm was called, ? The name being derived from the Greek word?

By 1880, the firm had located to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and was doing business as John W. 924 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, purveyors of a wide range of scientific and philosophical instruments, became business agents for John W.

As a result of rapid early success in sales of his instruments, Sidle soon consigned to Queen & Co. The entire production of his facility in Lancaster. This resulted in a long and complex relationship between Sidle and Queen & Co.

Such that it appears that Sidle ultimately became an employee of Queen & Co. Subsequently, Sidle developed a complete line of Acme microscopes consisting of five models, which were numbered 2 through 6. By the year 1886, Queen took over the production of the Acme line of microscopes and Sidle gradually slipped into the background as the inventor and designer of this instrument line.

Queen then began to produce pictorial advertisements of the Acme line that appeared in all of the scientific journals of the day. Many of these early advertisements featured a medallion with the inscription, ? Microscope Makers, 924 Chestnut St. Later the advertisements boldly stated, ? Makers of the Acme Microscopes?

As they assumed full ownership of the brand name. Acme microscopes were simple, durable and of relatively modest cost and received very high praise from their users.

THE MONTANA LOGGER is very pleased to offer this Queen & Co. We will also entertain reasonable offers for this fine microscope. FREE scheduling, supersized images and templates. Make your listings stand out with FREE Vendio custom templates! Over 100,000,000 served. Get FREE counters from Vendio today! ANTIQUE BRASS MICROSCOPE ACME NO. 3 STAND, SN-1885, CIRCA 1890" is in sale since Tuesday, June 30, 2020. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Science & Medicine (1930-Now)\Scientific Instruments\Microscopes, Lab Equipment". The seller is "mtloggera" and is located in Hamilton, Montana. This item can be shipped worldwide.
  • Antique Brass Microscope: Acme #3 Stand
  • Microscope Designer: J.

    Sidle

  • Country of Manufacture: Philadelphia, PA USA
  • Manufacturer: James W.
  • Product Type: Microscopes, Lab Equipment
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States


J. W. Queen & Co. Antique Brass Microscope Acme No. 3 Stand, Sn-1885, Circa 1890