Antique Scientific Instruments

Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased

Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased

Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased
This listing is for a very nice example of a late Victorian/early Edwardian compact monocular microscope in lacquered brass finish by J. Swift & Son of London, which will date from around 1900 or thereabouts. The condition of the instrument is very good, everything works as it should and is a delight to use. The instrument sits on a brass Crouch-style tripod frame with base and upper limb in gun-metal dark grey finish complemented by lacquered brass fittings that are in generally good antique condition with some age-related wear, spotting and tarnishing giving it a wonderful aged patina. Turning to the main technical details of this quality brass Victorian microscope, we have. A monocular eyepiece with draw-tube in brass supplied with three vintage brass eyepieces giving 6x, 8x and 10x magnification. A coarse focus system that moves the main optical tube in a vertical plane via a rack and pinion system, with a nice smooth action through the twin-sided brass thumb-wheels - travel and focus are both good.

Note that the microscope upper frame on this model is designed to tilt for inclined viewing and it holds in position perfectly. Fine focus adjustment essentially works via a single brass thumb-wheel at the rear of the upper limb which also has a nice smooth action. There are three quality objective lenses all by well-known maker Carl Zeiss all with brass storage canisters on a rotating triple turret, which clicks into place positively as each objective is rotated into its viewing position. The objectives are as follows: - Zeiss a3 - 5x magnification - Zeiss A - 10x magnification - Zeiss D - 40x magnification The effective overall magnification therefore ranges from around 30x to around 400x with suitable illumination.

The specimen stage is rectangular with a lovely surface patina that's fitted with a Swift manual roller-stage with single stage-clip for holding slides steady during viewing sessions and works very well with manual control. There's also a grid-type vernier scale on the stage surface. Below stage there's a Swift condenser on a plug-in mount, with iris and there's also a slot below the stage for accepting filters such as opaque, coloured or dark-field.

Sample illumination is provided via a plano-concave mirror in a jointed brass mount with a rotating gimbal and it's located on a slider thereby allowing multi-adjustment of the mirror. It's got pretty good silvering to both sides. The overall condition of this antique Swift microscope is very good with no observed maintenance or wear issues and it's also surprisingly heavy for a compact stand with its iron and brass construction, with just a few signs of use here and there very much in keeping with the instrument's age and usage over the years. There's also a fully-fitted hardwood storage case with this example which is by Watson with a re-covered carry-handle, internal lens racks and a working lock and that all-important key. In summary, this is a very good condition collectable compact brass microscope, from well-known British optical firm J.

Swift & Son in a very nice lacquered brass finish in great period condition. It's supplied together with a good set of quality Zeiss lenses and Swift's patented manual roller-stage, which overall makes a decent microscopy set-up and a compelling collectable. It may therefore appeal to both specialist collectors of technical equipment and of course those seeking a nice antique brass example for its technical capabilities and period look to add to their collection for use, display or both. It's also essentially usable straight out of the box, with a bit of time invested in understanding how best to use its period features and controls to optimum effect.

This microscope will be partially dismantled for storage in its box, very well packaged for transport and dispatched by insured courier upon receipt of cleared funds. Thanks for looking - please check out my other listings if you get a chance. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased" is in sale since Tuesday, November 9, 2021.

This item is in the category "Antiques\Science/Medicine\Scientific Instruments". The seller is "arcboutant" and is located in Glasgow. This item can be shipped to United Kingdom, Antigua and barbuda, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Australia, United States, Bahrain, Canada, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, China, Israel, Hong Kong, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Barbados, Brunei darussalam, Cayman islands, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Grenada, French guiana, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Saint kitts and nevis, Saint lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Macao, Monaco, Maldives, Montserrat, Martinique, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Paraguay, Reunion, Turks and caicos islands, Aruba, Saudi arabia, South africa, United arab emirates, Ukraine, Chile, Bahamas, Colombia, Costa rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Kuwait, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Trinidad and tobago, Uruguay, Viet nam, Russian federation.

  • Period: 1800 to 1900
  • Material: Brass
  • Type: Microscope
  • Antique: Yes
  • Sub-Type: Microscopes

Antique J. Swift & Son Ltd Brass Microscope with Roller-stage, circa 1900, Cased