On this web page, you will see my collection of early optical instruments used in the chemical laboratory. The collection consist of old instruments such as spectroscopes, refractometers, polarimeters, goniometers, and microscopes.

These instruments were designed specifically for making measurements on or doing experiments with chemical substances. The instruments date from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

Elsewhere on this web site, you can see my more extensive collection of antique brass microscopes dating from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century. I am always interested in acquiring new scientific instruments for these collections and will answer all inquiries.

click on the images for more information

Spectroscopes (spectrometers):


John Browning, 63 Strand, London. Multi-prism Automatic Laboratory Spectroscope c. 1875		Carl Zeiss, Jena Nr. 39881. Comparison Spectroscope c. 1930

Franz Schmidt & Haensch, Berlin, S. Direct Vision Spectroscope after Hoffmann, c. 1890

John Browning, London. Direct Vision Hand Spectroscope c. 1885

Microspectroscopes, from left to right: R&J Beck, London: John Browning, London; Carl Zeiss, Jena

Microspectroscopes: from left to right: R& J Beck, London: John Browning, London Carl Zeiss, Jena

Refractometers :

$Carl Zeiss, Jena Nr. 11794. Pulfrich Refractometer c. 1925$

Carl Zeiss, Jena Nr. 11794. Pulfrich Refractometer c. 1920

Polarimeters (polariscopes, saccharimeters) :

Laurent Type Polarimeter c. 1900

Chemical microscopes/microscopy :


Nachet, 17 rue St. Severin, Paris. The Nachet-Smith Inverted Chemical Microscope, c. 1885	Deleuil, Raspail Simple Chemical Microscope. c. 1835

Eimer & Amend, New York. Reagents for Chemical Microscopy, Shillaber Model Set No. 2, c. 1930

View my collection of antique microscopes