Antique Scientific Instruments

Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased

Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased

Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased

Here we have a lovely collectable brass microscope manufactured by Ernst Leitz of Wetzlar in Germany dating to around 1919 based on the sequential Leitz production number of 199350 - so just after the end of WWI. This example is in all-original condition and appears to be complete, which is nice to see. The case is also in good original condition, complete with internal fittings making a great collectable antique instrument. It's perfectly usable and ideal for transmitted light microscopy applications and of course display. The instrument benefits from a set of Leitz lenses and it's also got a nice patina to its brass-work which is showing signs of age-related tarnishing, spotting as well as some lacquer loss due to historic polishing by fastidious former owners, which is not unusual with instruments of this age.

It's got a good period look and the right signs of age for an early 20th century brass example, making it a good proposition for a collector. Turning to the optics, this example is fitted with a brass eyepiece draw-tube with a graduation markings. The main tube is also in brass with coarse focus via rack and pinion with a nice smooth action, with the main tube holding in position as it should.

Fine focus is a vernier screw/cam arrangement which only has a single adjustment control on the right hand side of the upper limb and also moves smoothly. The instrument is supplied with two appropriate vintage 6x and 10x magnification eyepieces by Leitz and Zeiss that with good illumination produce nice sharp images. 7 in brass - 50x - 1/12th inch - Leitz - 100x oil immersion. Overall, the range of magnification provided by this instrument therefore runs from about 60x to around 1,000x with good illumination and of course oil immersion when using the 1/12th inch objective.

The instrument tilts for inclined viewing, holding in position as it should. The stage is brass and fitted both with a pair of original stage-clips which are fine for holding a slide steady especially when using inclined viewing and there's also a period Leitz mechanical over-stage - both systems are shown in action in the listing photos. The mechanical over-stage has above-stage x/y controls and attaches to the brass stage with a single thumb-screw that's tightened from below and can therefore easily be fitted/removed in a few seconds.

The over-stage is marked "College of Medicine Singapore" and may therefore have been added later. It resides in a very nice fitted and velvet lined case when not in use and is an excellent accessory to have. The over-stage case also fits snugly into the main case.

Turning to the sub-stage, we have an Abbe-type condenser in a brass mount with helical screw height adjustment and a swing-out capability which I've tried to demonstrate in the listing photos. There's also a smooth working iris and a swing-out filter carrier. Lighting is via a plano-concave mirror on an adjustable brass support arm and gimbal with very good silvering to both sides. This is a good visual and also an excellent working example of a Leitz monocular in highly original condition with good period optics and some nice accessories. It's essentially therefore very much a collectable instrument. There is also the correct storage case with this example, with internal lens racks, sundries case, case with mechanical over-stage, brass carry-handle and a working lock that's just missing the key - a cupboard latch has therefore been fitted to help keep the door closed. Thanks for looking - please also check out my other listings if you get a chance.
Antique Leitz Brass Microscope with Mechanical Over-stage circa 1919, Cased