French Drum Microscope with stage fine focus (earlier Nachet type)
Imported and sold by Benjamin Pike Jr., New York, c. 1849
The microscope is
supplied with a full compliment of accessories which
include a triple button objective (divisible for power
change), two eyepieces, a brass trough with glass
bottom for wet preparations, a camera ludica, a stage
condenser on an articulated arm, an ivory and ebony
stage disk for mounting opaque objects, and a set of
dissection tools. In addition, in a compartment within
the case are stored sets if paper covered prepared
slides; these include ten standard size slides with
lables marked B. Pike & Son 518 Broadway New York,
a cardboard box containing twelve slides with green
paper and hand written contents, and a group of sixteen
smaller slides with plain paper covers.
Microscope manufacturing
in America began near the end of the 2nd quarter of the
19th century. By mid century, very few American made
microscopes were produced. Before that time, many of
the microscopes that were available in this country
were imported primarily from France and England. One of
the major importers were the members of the Pike
family of opticians located in New York City. The firm
began when Benjamin Pike Senior emigrated to the United
States in 1804. He established an optician's business
in New York City supplying scientific instruments. His
three sons, Benjamin Jr., Daniel, and Gardiner carried
on in the business with the father and later on their
own, sometimes as partners and, at other times, as
competitors. As indicated by the trade label on the
inside cover of the case, this particular instrument
was retailed by Benjamin Pike Jr. (1809-1864).
According to Charles Smart in The Makers of
Surveying Instruments in American since 1700,
1962, Pike Jr. was located at the address shown on the
trade label during the years 1843-1857. A short history of the Pike firms
is avialable online. Also see this.
This microscope is
unsigned by the maker. Some early French drum
microscopes of this design are known that, while not
exactly identical to the instrument shown here, are
signed by Camille Sébastien Nachet (1799-1881). One
such signed example, marked with one of
Nachet's earliest addresses, is located this
collection.
Another microscope very similar to the one shown on
this page, but slightly smaller is also in this
collection. Additionally, other similar microscopes are
known that are either unsigned or are signed by other
opticians. One closely resembling this microscope is
located in the Harvard
Collection inventory Number: 1081a and is dated 1845-1850; while it is
also unsigned, it is attributed to Nachet.
This microscope was
purchased for this collection from an individual that
indicated that it was owned by a family member in
St. Louis MO during the 19th century.