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Up for sale is a beautiful piece of late 19th / early 20th-century scientific history—an authentic antique French brass pocket field/botanical microscope. These compact, highly modular instruments were popular among students, naturalists, and geologists for conducting scientific observations directly outdoors in the field.
The draw-tube is clearly engraved with its vintage origin mark: "MADE IN FRANCE".
Item Mechanics & Features:
• Material: Solid polished and aged brass body housing with a dark lacquered metal specimen stage platform.
• Focusing System: Features manual rack-and-pinion focusing controlled via a large turn-dial wheel, as well as a sliding friction draw-tube adjustments.
• Illumination: Integrated swiveling sub-stage optical mirror designed to capture natural light or candlelight and reflect it up through the specimen disk.
• Optics: Main barrel houses both the compounding objective and eyepiece lens elements.
Condition Report:
• Aesthetics: The brass body displays an authentic, aged golden patina with honest cosmetic surface wear and faint scratches appropriate for a genuine scientific tool of this vintage.
• Mechanics: The rack-and-pinion focus dial turns smoothly after delicate oiling. The inner nesting tube glides freely
• Optics: The glass lens elements and reflecting mirror are physically intact with minor internal dust.
• Note that this listing includes the loose microscope instrument only; no storage box, cases, or glass slides are present.
Please review all high-resolution photos carefully, as they provide the best representation of this item’s precise cosmetic and structural condition. Perfect as a functional display piece for an office, library, or historic scientific instrument collection!
