This early eighteen-century microscope was similar in design to those solar microscopes described by British instrument maker John Cuff. The tube is fixed on a square wooden plate, which was then inserted into a shutter.

Light from the sun was directed into the microscope by the movable mirror operated by a series of levers and cords. The primary rotation cord, attached to the tube, allows rotation of the mirror about the tube's optical axis to track the position of the sun. The angle of inclination of the mirror is also adjustable to compensate for the sun's position during changing seasons. The microscope tube is affixed to the barrel of the instrument shown at the far left in the illustration.

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