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Microscope Museum Collection of antique microscopes and other
scientific instruments |
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Microscope
169 (Bausch
and Lomb; medical microscope BA-8; 1943)
Bausch
& Lomb was founded by two immigrants from Germany, Jacob Bausch and Henry
Lomb. Bausch was both an optician and woodworker by training. Their company
first became successful with the use of hard rubber eyeglass frames. This
eventually allowed expansion of the business into other optical areas
including microscopes. Bausch’s son Edward learned to make microscopes, and
the company prospered after it began to manufacture them. The first patent
granted to Bausch was for a very simple Linen prover type microscope in 1865.
About 1874, the firm started to produce both simple and compound microscopes.
In 1890 Edward Bausch contacted Carl Zeiss, a German optics firm, and soon
arranged for Bausch & Lomb to license Zeiss’s patents, with the exclusive
rights to the U.S. market. In 1907 Zeiss bought 20 percent of Bausch &
Lomb, granting the company free use of Zeiss patents in the United States. In
1915 Zeiss sold its 20% share back to Bausch & Lomb, and until 1921, the
two companies had no dealings with one another (although Bausch & Lomb
continued to use Zeiss patents). In 1926 Jacob Bausch died, and Edward Bausch
became chairman of the board. In 1937 Bausch & Lomb went public. The
Bausch & Lomb's optical systems division was bought by Cambridge
Instruments in 1987, using the name Cambridge instruments. Cambridge
Instruments merged with Wild-Leitz in 1990 to form Leica plc. Microscope 169
was made by Bausch & Lomb, is known as a medical microscope model BA-8
(Figure 1) and can be dated to 1943. It contains the inscription ‘Bausch
& Lomb Optical Co, Rochester, NY, USA’, the serial number MD643, and ‘US
PAT 2093611’. This patent was granted to the company in 1937. The instrument
contains a built-on square, mechanical stage. The substage assembly includes
a condenser with an iris diaphragm, a filter holder, and a plug-in mirror,
all moved on a frame by rack and pinion.
Figure
1.
Bausch and Lomb’s medical microscope model BA-8 as featured in a 1940s
catalogue of the firm References Bausch & Lomb Optical Company (http://waywiser.fas.harvard.edu/people/220/bausch--lomb-optical-company), last accessed on 14.08.2020 BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO.-ITS
HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT (https://www.asprs.org/wp-content/uploads/pers/1941journal/dec/1941_dec_175-180.pdf), last accessed on 14.08.2020 B&L HA laboratory compound
microscope (http://waywiser.fas.harvard.edu/objects/12694/bl-ha-laboratory-compound-microscope;jsessionid=5000CBF988AB76F23F75668B0F867D60?ctx=00eb638a-5677-4421-a946-62dd12fce81d&idx=40), last accessed on 30.01.2021 LAST
EDITED: 05.05.2021 |
