SOLD – Antique Student’s Petrological Microscope by J Swift & Son, London – circa 1895

SOLD – Antique Student’s Petrological Microscope by J Swift & Son, London – circa 1895

Sold

Antique condition Student's Petrological model microscope by James Swift & Son, London. It's in working condition, heavily patinated with markings for Wood Museum. Interesting collectable example.

Circa

1895

Maker

James Swift & Son of London

Country of manufacture

UK and Ireland

Categories: Scientific, Microscopy

Description

Offered for sale is a collectable example of a good size antique monocular brass microscope by quality London makers James Swift & Son.  The instrument is numbered 10162 dating it to around 1895 and it also bears the Swift logo on the rear of the tripod.  It’s an example of a Student’s Petrological model in monocular form and is in usable condition, with obvious signs of wear and historic polishing, which is not unusual considering its age at around 130 years.  Looking at the Swift catalogues, this model appears in the 1892 version as instrument No. 21 on page 29 and I’ve copied this for the reader at the end of the listing photos.
 
Background to James Swift & Son – source Microscope Museum:
 
James Swift were microscope makers trading from London founded in 1853 by James Powell Swift, who was son of the watchmaker Thomas Swift. Before founding his company, James Swift was apprenticed to the well-known microscope maker Andrew Ross. In 1881 they made improvements to microscope design, including the replacement of the straight rack and pinion focusing to helical cut components and a new fine focus system. In 1884, Mansell James Swift, son of James Powell, joined the company and the name was changed to James Swift & Son. In 1901, Captain Scott was supplied with Swift microscopes for use on the R.R.S. Discovery for the 1901-1904 expedition, named in the catalogue of the time as the ‘Discovery’ model. In 1903, Mansell Powell John Swift, grandson of the founder, joined the company. In 1906, the founder of the company, James Powell Swift, died. In 1912, the company was incorporated as a limited company and the name changed to J. Swift Ltd. In 1942, both Mansell Powell and Mansell James died. In 1946, ER Watts and Son Ltd took over the company, mainly due to the association between the Watts and Swift families in earlier years. In 1949, they employed John H. Basset who, in 1968, took over the company.
 
 
This example of a Swift Student’s Petrological is a usable instrument and currently set up for low to medium power applications, which suits the petrological set up.  It’s actually a well-engineered, imposing and characterful instrument, suitable for both use and in the right setting as a technical display curio, with a wonderful aged look about it.  It stands about 17 to 18 inches tall when racked out to focus a low-power objective as shown fitted in the listing photos and with the eyepiece draw-tube also extended.
 
In terms of the technical details, the instrument stands on a brass Crouch-style tripod with giving good stability, with twin uprights leading to the main pivot joint, which can be adjusted for tension if required.  There’s a continental-type upper limb giving a good range of coarse focus travel, which allows low power objectives to be used.  The instrument tilts for inclined viewing and holds in position throughout the usable range of inclination.  Coarse focus is via a diagonal cut rack and pinion, with smooth action and good rack with no missing teeth, with the main optical tube holding in position as it should throughout the working range.  There’s also tension adjustment for the coarse focus pinion as required.  Fine focus is controlled via a separate graduated brass thumb-wheel atop the continental pillar which also works well.

With its optics, there’s a brass eyepiece draw-tube shown extended and the optical tube has appropriate modifications for polarised light microscopy as detailed below:

– nicol prism analyser in brass box on push/pull slider
– Bertrand lens on push/pull slider
– slot for wave-plates or quartz wedges

There’s one Swift top-hat eyepiece:

– 6x magnification

There’s two objective lenses in brass, as under – note the instrument is RMS in terms of objective thread diameter, so plenty of other objectives should also fit:

– 1 inch unbranded – 6x magnification 
– 1/4 inch by Swift – approx 25x magnification

The magnification range available is therefore around 36x to 150x with the current set of optics.

The circular brass stage is attached at the pivot point and is a well engineered feature with nice smooth action to its moving parts – it rotates and will complete a full 360 degrees as may be required.  The stage surface is engraved with an external degree scale and also other engravings for specimen positioning.  It’s currently fitted currently with special external slide clips as shown in the listing photos.

Turning to the sub-stage, we have a brass ring-mount fitted with a friction-fit sub-stage nicol prism polariser which can also be swung out of the optical path for standard brightfield applications.  The polariser can be rotated and has an external degree scale.  Note: nicol prism slightly cloudy, but still functional achieving extinction as expected when crossed with the nicol prism analyser.

Lighting is via a plano-concave mirror in a brass carrier on a height/rotation adjustable brass support arm and gimbal fitted to the limb tailpiece, with period silvering that’s in excellent condition to both sides. 

There’s currently no case for the instrument.

The instrument and its controls have been very gently cleaned in order to remove traces of historic polish, lightly lubricated and operate nice and smoothly with age-appropriate signs of wear and condition points as described, very much as one would expect for an instrument of this age and likely usage profile.  It presents well as an antique brass instrument and I’m certain it will look the part in a library or home office, especially when set up with an appropriate antique slide, such as the olivine gabbro slide shown. 

Owing to the weight and delicacy of this antique microscope, it will be partially dismantled, carefully wrapped for shipping and dispatched by insured courier upon receipt of cleared funds.  

Thanks for looking.

 

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GB Arcboutant Scientific

Arcboutant Scientific based in Glasgow Scotland, with an interest in scientific collectables dating back to 1988. Now making available carefully curated fine examples, principally of antique microscopes and associated scientific equipment by quality English and Continental makers, to collectors world-wide.

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