Binocular microscope - 1850-1900 - France
Starting bid
€ 1
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Selected by Rob ter Ellen
Over 35 years' experience specialising in cameras and optical equipment.
Estimate € 330 - € 400
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Description from the seller
Antique Microscope, 19th Century with Multiple Accessories.
Based on the inscription in the image, it is a very interesting historical piece. It is not just a generic microscope, but an instrument with a very important French scientific lineage.
"Hartnack sucr. de G. Oberhaeuser" "Place Dauphine, 21" "Paris"
1. The Manufacturer: Edmund Hartnack
Edmund Hartnack was one of the most influential microscope makers of the 19th century. He joined his uncle Georges Oberhaeuser's workshop (the "G. Oberhaeuser" you see on the plaque) in Paris and eventually took over the business in 1860. That is why the plaque says "sucr." (successor).
Period: Approximately between 1860 and 1870.
Importance: Hartnack pioneered the introduction of water immersion objectives, which dramatically improved resolution. Scientists such as Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch used microscopes from this maker for their discoveries about bacteria.
Details of the Location
The address Place Dauphine, 21 in Paris was the heart of the precision instrument manufacturers district at the time. Instruments made there were considered the "high end" of 19th-century optical technology.
The serial number No. 253 visible on the bottom is extremely low for Hartnack's total production (which reached into the tens of thousands), which could suggest that it is a piece from his early years as an independent successor or part of a specific accessories series.
The Microscope
The main instrument (the tube over the tripod) is a brass microscope. Unlike modern models with large curved arms, these old models tended to have a more vertical and compact design.
Design: It is a portable or "field" model. The brass body slides into a focus support.
Base: The fact that it has tripod-style legs suggests that it is a transitional model or a variant of the classic drum microscopes (which tended to have a closed cylindrical base).
Contents of the Case
The set appears to be very complete, which greatly increases its historical value:
Objectives and Eyepieces: Those small brass cylinders in front of the case are interchangeable lenses to achieve different magnifications.
Slide Holder (Slides): The red metal box contains glass slides on which samples were placed.
Wooden Box: The mahogany case with green silk or velvet lining is typical of high-quality scientific instruments of the Victorian era.
I don’t have the key to the box..
Antique Microscope, 19th Century with Multiple Accessories.
Based on the inscription in the image, it is a very interesting historical piece. It is not just a generic microscope, but an instrument with a very important French scientific lineage.
"Hartnack sucr. de G. Oberhaeuser" "Place Dauphine, 21" "Paris"
1. The Manufacturer: Edmund Hartnack
Edmund Hartnack was one of the most influential microscope makers of the 19th century. He joined his uncle Georges Oberhaeuser's workshop (the "G. Oberhaeuser" you see on the plaque) in Paris and eventually took over the business in 1860. That is why the plaque says "sucr." (successor).
Period: Approximately between 1860 and 1870.
Importance: Hartnack pioneered the introduction of water immersion objectives, which dramatically improved resolution. Scientists such as Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch used microscopes from this maker for their discoveries about bacteria.
Details of the Location
The address Place Dauphine, 21 in Paris was the heart of the precision instrument manufacturers district at the time. Instruments made there were considered the "high end" of 19th-century optical technology.
The serial number No. 253 visible on the bottom is extremely low for Hartnack's total production (which reached into the tens of thousands), which could suggest that it is a piece from his early years as an independent successor or part of a specific accessories series.
The Microscope
The main instrument (the tube over the tripod) is a brass microscope. Unlike modern models with large curved arms, these old models tended to have a more vertical and compact design.
Design: It is a portable or "field" model. The brass body slides into a focus support.
Base: The fact that it has tripod-style legs suggests that it is a transitional model or a variant of the classic drum microscopes (which tended to have a closed cylindrical base).
Contents of the Case
The set appears to be very complete, which greatly increases its historical value:
Objectives and Eyepieces: Those small brass cylinders in front of the case are interchangeable lenses to achieve different magnifications.
Slide Holder (Slides): The red metal box contains glass slides on which samples were placed.
Wooden Box: The mahogany case with green silk or velvet lining is typical of high-quality scientific instruments of the Victorian era.
I don’t have the key to the box..
Details
Era
1400-1900
Weight
4 g
Type
Binocular microscope
Number of objects
1
Country of origin
France
Physical condition
Very good
Functional condition
Tested and working
Height
10 cm
Width
30 cm
Depth
18 cm
Estimated period
1850-1900
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