This beautifully crafted simple microscope is part of the Golub Collection housed in the Valley Life Sciences Building at the University of California, Berkeley.

Berkeley historians suggest that the microscope is Dutch in origin and that it was made sometime in the late seventeenth century between the years 1690 and 1700. This interpretation has been questioned by Gerard Turner, who is perhaps one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field.

A circular brass plate containing six openings serves as a "stage" upon which samples are affixed. The microscopist can then position a selected sample for observation by rotating the plate so that the samples lies directly behind the small central lens hole in the concave dish. To achieve maximum illumination, the microscope is held in the hand and pointed towards a bright light source.

BACK TO SIXTEENTH-SEVENTEENTH CENTURY MICROSCOPES

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