Beschreibung:

A large collection of English microscope ocular and objective lenses Various makers, second half of the 19th century and later Including a set of four holoscopic objectives labelled 4, 12, 16 and 25 mm each in brass canister inscribed ‘HOLOS’ W. WATSON & SONS, 313 HIGH HOLBORN, LONDON to lid and three oculars 5, 7 and 14 by the same maker; the remainder mainly single objectives in brass canisters including achromatic condensers and examples inscribed Wray, London, 2 in and HENRY CROUCH, S. MAW, SON & THOMPSON, AGENTS, LONDON, HOMO 1/12 MM to lids, (some canisters empty, approx. 80 items). Provenance: The Maurice Gillett collection of microscopy including inventory refs. G2240, G3378, G3232 and G3234B. William Watson is recorded in Gloria, Clifton Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851 as setting up business in Clerkenwell, London in 1837 before moving to 313A High Holborn in 1869. In 1867 the firm became W. Watson & Son then W. Watson & Sons in 1882. In 1908 they became a Limited Company and continued trading well into the latter 20th century. The holoscopic objective was developed by W. Watson and Son at the end of the 19th century to reduce the occurrence of chromatic aberration in the image.