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A rare George Lindsay brass portable microscope, English, 1746, image 1
A rare George Lindsay brass portable microscope, English, 1746, image 2
A rare George Lindsay brass portable microscope, English, 1746, image 3
Various Properties
Lot 56Ф,*,Y

A rare George Lindsay brass portable microscope,
English, 1746,

15 September 2021, 14:00 BST
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £12,750 inc. premium

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A rare George Lindsay brass portable microscope, English, 1746,

the silver plaque signed Geo. Lindsay Inv(r) & Fec(r), the brass stage frame stamped 1746, with serial number 130 stamped beneath the brass plate holding the objective, the side of the microscope with silver strip stamped with fiducial marks '76543', with two brass strips numbered 2-4 and 5-7 which insert into the top plate, on brass tripod base, together with accessories including two silver and brass Lieberkühn pieces, and five bone slides, housed in a later lined case,
the microscope body 3 1/2in (9cm) long; 6in (15cm) wide in case

Footnotes

George Lindsay (fl. 1743-1776) was a leading instrument maker during the mid-18th century, his talent confirmed by his appointment in 1760 to the role of royal watch and clock maker to George III. Prior to this Lindsay circulated advertisements for G Lindsay Watch & Clockmaker to his Royal Highness ye Prince of Wales at ye Dial near Catherine Street in ye Strand. Inventor & Maker of ye Generally portable microscope.

The present microscope is an example of Lindsay's patented pocket microscopes, the first such design to receive a patent (No. 588) in 1742/3. Lindsay published a pamphlet in 1743, which championed the portability of his microscope as fitting into any case 'not exceeding six Cubic Inches'. As a result the instrument was affectionately called the 'snuff-box microscope'.

A comparable brass example of this instrument is in the collection of the Royal Microscopical Society, London. Lindsay also produced two silver models were produced, one of which is now in the Whipple Museum, Cambridge.

Literature
cf. Gerard L'E Turner, The Great Age of the Microscope, Bristol, pp. 261-262, No. 279.

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