Rare Antique Brass Monocular Microscope c1899 Made By W. F Stanley William Ford
Beautiful antique brass microscope presented in a exquisitely made mahogany case with dovetail joints made by W. This is a wonderful piece of history which would be the an amazing addition to any collection and would certainly be a huge talking point as the centerpiece of room. Case is approx 35cm high. There is no damage of note other than the loss of some of the black finish at the base, i have fully tested all functions and found the item to work perfectly with no issues whatsoever. The box has seen the most wear and there are a few points to note which are highlighted in the images.
One mount within the case is partially missing, this is at the back and looks like it previous held the base of the microscope. The handle which was once mounted at the top of the case is missing.
The clasp for the lock has been removed, i assume this was to gain access as there are also signs of the door being forced open. Finally the included bulls eye lens appears to be missing a part which would hold the arm and lens tightly in the stand allowing it to be moved/held in the desired position, however, as this is an accessory it does not affect the function of the microscope. It is believed that the shop owned by W. F Stanley on Railway Approach was opened in 1873 as this is the earliest mention of the address so due to the inscription on the base it is likely this microscope was manufactured after this date.William Ford Stanley was known to be a charitable benefactor and on the label within the inside of the case door it is noted To H M Government Arts & Science Department indicating the item was a gift, this must have been prior to 1899 as the department ceased operations that year, W F Stanley Co also became W F Stanley Co Ltd the following year so you would expect to see this on items post 1900. William Ford Stanley was born in 1829, he came from humble beginnings but went on to be a successful inventor, engineer and entrepreneur, he is credited with making significant improvements to the Theodolite, the T Square and inventing the Wire Spoke Wheel. Stanley started his own company W.
F Stanley Co in 1854, they manufactured high quality mathematical instruments which were significantly better than their competitors at the time, the company was very successful and flourished under Stanley until 1899 when it was floated on the stock market. Stanley died in 1909 and W. F Stanley Co Ltd continued until it was eventually liquidized in 1999 almost 150 years after its creation.