General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

2

Total Parts

32

AKA

body tube

Patents

N/A

General Description

Lacquered brass

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

4.3 cm

Width

12.0 cm

Height

20.2 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Medical Technology

Category

Medical equipment

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Ross

Country

England

State/Province

Unknown

City

London

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

1840s

Canada

Caroline Bucknall Estcourt (1809-1886) (ne Caroline Pole Craw), was the wife of British officer, James Bucknall Estcourt (1802-1855), posted in the Canadian colonies in the 1830s and 1840s. Caroline was an amateur naturalist and painter, with some of her graphic collections in the archives of Canada. These include portraits, sporting scenes and landscapes. She purchased this microscope either just before or just after her second trip to the colonies in April 1843 until 1846. During that time her husband was the British boundary commissioner for Canada, in charge of surveying the northeast border of the United States.

Function

Examination of natural specimens.

Technical

There are several historic Ross microscopes in the collection. Number 68, however, carries some technical significance. It is one of the earliest commercially produced, portable achromatic microscopes (i.e. Ross made special lenses that corrected for chromatic aberration). The first achromatic microscopes were made by Chevalier in France and James Smith , Hugh Powell and Andrew Ross in the UK in the late 1830s. Ross number 68 can be dated to 1842 (or possibly 1843) and is therefore a fairly early commercially produced achromatic microscope. (The National Museum of Scotland has some Ross microscopes in its collection but none this early). Its portability was also rare for such an early one. Andrew Ross (1798-1859) was one of the more prolific and highly skilled 19th century British microscope makers. In the 1830s and 40s he signed his instruments as Andrew Ross, London. Later he joined his brother Thomas and traded as Ross Microscope.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Incised manufacturer's markings on tube reads: "And. w.. Rofs/ Optician/ London/ No 68"/

Missing

N/A

Finish

"L" shaped base and tube, lacquered brass; horizontal oval base plate attaches to microscope and vertical tube holds eyepiece. Blackened interior.

Decoration

N/A