achromatic compound microscope
Date: 1807
Inventory Number: 2002-1-0075a
Classification: Microscope
Subject:
Maker: Harmanus van Deyl (1738 - 1809)
Maker: Abraham Ypelaar (1739 - 1811)
Author: Johannes Allart (1754 - 1816)
Cultural Region:
City of Use:
Dimensions:
microscope: 38 × 14 × 15 cm (14 15/16 × 5 1/2 × 5 7/8 in.)
case: 10.5 × 27 × 22.7 cm (4 1/8 × 10 5/8 × 8 15/16 in.)
Accessories: 2 objectives; 2 eye lenses for a fixed field lens; 1 Lieberkühn; frogplate; bull's eye; stage forceps; spring stage; live box; hand lens; 2 tweezers; 2 boxes with 59 specimen slides; glass disk; black disk; "fish" tube with wire; ivory box of mica cover slips; 5 glass slides; 3 lenses; 2 keys.
Bibliography:
Cabinet Microskopische Voorwerpen. Uit de 3 Rijken der Natúúr Versameld; En daar toe Geprepareerd, Door Abraham Ypelaar, & comp a Amsteldam
DescriptionFolding tripod base has dovetail mount for rectangular pillar. The stage slides on the pillar and is focused by rack and pinion. The top of the pillar carries a springloaded receiver for the arm that holds the optical tube. An adjustable substage concave mirror fits on the tripod base. An adjustable bulls eye, a frog plate or stage forceps fit on the stage. The center of the stage has a circular recess. This takes a circular receiver for sliders or a glass plate or a black plate with a hole for the small round Dutch ivory specimen holders.
The mahogany case has new green lining. Accessories stored in the main compartment of the case include 2 objectives; 2 eye lenses for a fixed field lens; 1 Lieberkühn; frogplate; bull's eye; stage forceps; slide receiver; live box; hand lens in wooden mount; and tweezers.
A drawer on the side of the flat case holds:
1 small, flat, wooden box with a drawer, holding 36 transparent specimens mounted in round ivory slides prepared by Abraham Ypelaar, with a signed manuscript list of the specimens. (Note that "AYpelaar" is stamped and "& Comp:" is hand written.)
1 smaller, flat, wooden box with a drawer, holding 23 transparent specimens mounted in round ivory slides prepared by Abraham Ypelaar, with a signed manuscript list of the original 24 specimens, as above.
1 glass tube for frog, newt, or eel, with a brass wire with a curled end for extracting specimen and cotton stoppers.
1 brass tweezers.
1 turned ivory box with a screw cap, holding mica cover slips.
1 round pillbox with glass disk for the stage, a black wooden plate (pierced to hold circular slide), and a plano-concave lens.
1 round pillbox with 2 small, biconvex lenses. Printed label reads: "NIEUWENHUIJSEN VAN BEMMEL"
1 round pillbox with 2 keys, one for the microscope case and one for the multi-drawer specimen cabinet (by Ypelaar, 2002-1-0075b). The lid is inked with "Sleutels / van de / Microscoop."
5 rough glass rectangular slides held in a rolled piece of paper, marked "glausjes" in Dutch.
3 loose wooden pieces of the case (which need to be glued back).
The mahogany case has new green lining. Accessories stored in the main compartment of the case include 2 objectives; 2 eye lenses for a fixed field lens; 1 Lieberkühn; frogplate; bull's eye; stage forceps; slide receiver; live box; hand lens in wooden mount; and tweezers.
A drawer on the side of the flat case holds:
1 small, flat, wooden box with a drawer, holding 36 transparent specimens mounted in round ivory slides prepared by Abraham Ypelaar, with a signed manuscript list of the specimens. (Note that "AYpelaar" is stamped and "& Comp:" is hand written.)
1 smaller, flat, wooden box with a drawer, holding 23 transparent specimens mounted in round ivory slides prepared by Abraham Ypelaar, with a signed manuscript list of the original 24 specimens, as above.
1 glass tube for frog, newt, or eel, with a brass wire with a curled end for extracting specimen and cotton stoppers.
1 brass tweezers.
1 turned ivory box with a screw cap, holding mica cover slips.
1 round pillbox with glass disk for the stage, a black wooden plate (pierced to hold circular slide), and a plano-concave lens.
1 round pillbox with 2 small, biconvex lenses. Printed label reads: "NIEUWENHUIJSEN VAN BEMMEL"
1 round pillbox with 2 keys, one for the microscope case and one for the multi-drawer specimen cabinet (by Ypelaar, 2002-1-0075b). The lid is inked with "Sleutels / van de / Microscoop."
5 rough glass rectangular slides held in a rolled piece of paper, marked "glausjes" in Dutch.
3 loose wooden pieces of the case (which need to be glued back).
In Collection(s)
Signedon optical tube: Harms= van Dyl, / Inv et fecit Amst
on 2 MS lists of specimens: AYpelaar & Comp:
on MS report: Johannes Allart. 1807.
on 2 MS lists of specimens: AYpelaar & Comp:
on MS report: Johannes Allart. 1807.
InscribedPrinted label on smallest pill box: NIEUWENHUIJSEN VAN BEMMEL
FunctionThis is one of the earliest commercially produced achromatic microscopes. An achromatic lens is a lens formed by the combination of two or more lenses of different curvature and often of different types of glass. It corrects the image for chromatic aberration--the appearance of colored fringes of light around an image--thereby giving a "cleaner" view of the object under study.
Historical AttributesThis achromatic microscope is a rare early example, being the work of Harmanus van Deyl (1738-1809), the first to produce achromatic microscopes commercially.
Although achromatic lenses were used with success in telescopes from the time of Dollond's invention in 1758, they were not used commercially in microscopes for another fifty years. Harmanus van Deyl and his father, Jan van Deyl (1715-1801) had developed an achromatic objective for the microscope around 1770, but it was not until 1807 that they were confident enough to publish a description of their achromatic objective and manufacture microscopes with it.
With the microscope is a manuscript describing the invention of Jan and Harmanus van Deyl, with a copy of an engraving in the published report of 1807. The manuscript is signed and dated by the Amsterdam publisher, Johannes Allart, 1807.
The instrument and the specimen cabinet were originally owned by an apothecary named Nieuwenhuijsen who came from Bemmel, Holland and was in business in Amsterdam. He passed it to the van Bemmel family. From there it passed down through the Jungerhans family.
Although achromatic lenses were used with success in telescopes from the time of Dollond's invention in 1758, they were not used commercially in microscopes for another fifty years. Harmanus van Deyl and his father, Jan van Deyl (1715-1801) had developed an achromatic objective for the microscope around 1770, but it was not until 1807 that they were confident enough to publish a description of their achromatic objective and manufacture microscopes with it.
With the microscope is a manuscript describing the invention of Jan and Harmanus van Deyl, with a copy of an engraving in the published report of 1807. The manuscript is signed and dated by the Amsterdam publisher, Johannes Allart, 1807.
The instrument and the specimen cabinet were originally owned by an apothecary named Nieuwenhuijsen who came from Bemmel, Holland and was in business in Amsterdam. He passed it to the van Bemmel family. From there it passed down through the Jungerhans family.
Curatorial RemarksOnly about six achromatic microscopes by van Deyl are known to survive. One is in the Teyler's Museum.
Primary SourcesHarmanus van Deijl, "Kort bericht der trapswijze Verbeteringen aan achromatische Verrekijkers en het Stam-microscoop, door Jan en Harmanus van Deijl, te Amsterdam," Natuurkundige Verhandelingen van de Koninglijk Maatschappij der Wetenschappen te Haarlem 3 (1807): 133-152.
Johannes Allart, "Korte Beschrijving der Zamenstelling van het Achromatieg Microscoop Uitgevonden door Jan en Harmanus Van Deyl en door Laastgenoemde Gemaakt," manuscript dated 1807.
Johannes Allart, "Korte Beschrijving der Zamenstelling van het Achromatieg Microscoop Uitgevonden door Jan en Harmanus Van Deyl en door Laastgenoemde Gemaakt," manuscript dated 1807.
ProvenanceDr. Nieuwenhuijsen of Bemmel (an apothecary), Amsterdam, 1807; to the van Bemmel family; to P. C h. M. van Bemmel (1906 – 1999), married to Dr. Johannes J. Jungerhans (physician) (1900 – 1979), Alkmaar, the Netherlands; to his son Robert R. J. Jungerhans (chemical engineer), Pasadena, CA: to his son Robert L. H. Jungerhans (financial analyst, Harvard A.B. 1997); gift to CHSI, 2002.