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GUNDLACH-MANHATTAN OPTICAL CO ANTIQUE BRASS PROFESSIONAL MICROSCOPE WITH RED MAHOGANY WOOD CASE –CIRCA 1905
You are invited to purchase a relatively rare antique brass compound monocular continental style microscope manufactured by the Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company (GMOC) of Rochester, NY in circa 1905. Offered here is their Professional Microscope model along with a very nice dovetailed Red Mahogany wood case that houses the instrument.
This instrument is signed, not by the GMOC, but by a mid-west distributor of its optical products. This instrument is signed in block letters at the rear of the round stage, “Alfred L. Robbins Co., Chicago.” Note: There is no serial number attached to the instrument. Alfred L. Robbins Company of Chicago was a scientific supply company similar to James W. Queen & Co. of Philadelphia, PA that sold laboratory equipment and supplies principally to schools and universities.
However, regardless of the distributor’s signature on the instrument, this microscope is clearly the Professional Microscope model that was manufactured by the GMOC. In proof thereof, type examples of this same instrument for identification purposes are found in the following antique microscope collections:
* The Golob Collection at the University of California at Berkley (Microscope # 216).
* The Lampus Health Sciences History Collections – Historic Microscope Collection at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA. (Microscope # 48.U11).
And
* The Billings Microscope Collection (See page 94, Figure 174 of the Collection Catalogue that features the exact same instrument. Their example is unsigned).
This particular microscope model has an interesting history. The design is based upon the stands developed and marketed by E.H. & F.H. Tighe of Detroit, Michigan USA from the late 1890s until circa 1905. Then, when the Tighe brothers went out of the microscope business, the marketing of the Tighe-like instruments was carried on by GMOC after 1905 and continued a few years thereafter. The hand of the Tighe’s in the design of this instrument is clearly evident by the fine focus control mechanism found under the limb above the stage – a design feature that many antique microscope collectors will quickly recognize right off the bat. The limb is different though, more angular that the wide sweeping “C” shaped limb found on the Tighe’s Stand Numbers 4 and 5.
Another interesting historical fact is that a microscope of this same configuration was also offered in the Sears & Roebuck Catalogue of 1902. Accompanying this listing is a copy of the listing from that Sears Catalogue that includes a full description along with an image of the instrument. Looking at the image in the Sears advertisement, the exact similarities to the listed instrument are readily apparent.
NOTE: For more on the somewhat convoluted history of the Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company, please see below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
This brass microscope is built upon a traditional continental style black lacquered metal heavy horseshoe base – typical of most compound microscope of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Rising from the rear of the foot is a brass cylindrical pillar that terminates in a compass joint that supports the stage, limb and the rest of the instrument. The compass joint allows the microscope to be tilted to various angles from the vertical for the comfortable viewing of specimen slides.
Rising from the compass joint behind the stage is an angular limb that supports the rackwork and body tube of the instrument. Coarse focus is by angular rack and pinion controlled by a pair of milled heads. The fine focus mechanism is immediately recognized as unconventional in that the focus control is located under the limb, as opposed to the more typical top of the limb position (see close-up image). A finely milled screw with a brass milled head acts on an internal spring-loaded horizontal bar that moves the entire rackwork assembly with its attached body tube very slightly up or down for a very precise form of fine focus.
The microscope is equipped with a 83mm diameter round stage with a 20mm central aperture. Normally found integral with the underside of the stage would be an iris diaphragm. However, this feature is missing from this microscope. There is provision for a pair of slide clips atop the stage, but these are also missing from this instrument. A 35mm diameter plano-concave mirror mounted on a swinging bar provides illumination to the stage. The mirror is so mounted that it can be swung to any angle of obliquity, either below or even above the stage in order to provide illumination to opaque objects such as insects or mineral samples (see accompanying composite image that illustrates this feature). The swinging substage mirror assembly used on this microscope was originally invented and patented by the American optician Joseph Zentmayer in 1876 and later adopted by several other microscope manufacturers including the Tighes and the GMOC.
The body tube of the microscope includes a nickel-plated drawtube that is graduated from 140 to 210mm. At the top of the drawtube is a brass ocular holder. A single “top hat” style eyepiece (unmarked as to power or manufacturer) is provided with the instrument. At the base of the body tube is a dual position rotating objective holder that holds the following objective lenses, both of which are unmarked as to the manufacturer: A 2/3-Inch medium low power objective and a 1/6-Inch medium high power objective.
When the body tube is fully racked down and the drawtube is fully nested within the body tube, this microscope stands 11.5 inches tall. When the body tube is fully racked out and the drawtube is fully extended, the microscope stands about 16.5 inches tall. The microscope weighs about 6 pounds.
Accompanying the microscope is a very nice dovetailed Red Mahogany wood case with a brass carrying handle at the top and with a working lock with a set of duplicate keys. The exterior dimensions of the case are 13 inches tall, 6.75 inches wide and 8 inches deep. The microscope in its case weighs about 12 pounds.
STATEMENT OF CONDITION:
NOTE: The accompanying images, which were captured under ambient light conditions, are a part of this statement of condition. Please take the time to view all of the images so you can confirm the condition of the microscope and so you will know exactly what you will be getting should you prove to be the proud new owner of this fine antique brass microscope.
This microscope is in very good to excellent condition cosmetically, optically and mechanically. In fact, in comparing this microscope to the images of the same instrument shown in the aforementioned institutional collections, this microscope appears to be in a lot better condition than most of the other examples. The brasswork on this microscope is in very good condition, with just a few spots of tarnish present here and there. I would estimate original lacquer retention to be in excess of 95%. Overall, the lacquered brass has a very nice honey-gold patina. The black lacquered metal base has some cracks in the lacquer and a few spots where there is some minor lacquer loss – but nothing major. The only treatment we have given this instrument was to clean it of dust and grime with dilute Windex and then to give it a good coat of Renaissance Wax from THE GEMMARY to retard any further tarnish or oxidation.
NOTE: We make a practice not to deep clean and polish antique brass microscopes.
The optics provided with this microscope (the eyepiece and the 2 objective lenses) are in excellent condition with no internal defects evident. Images produced at the eyepiece are sharp and very well resolved. The plano-concave mirror is in relatively poor condition with a considerable about of silvering loss on both the plano and the concave side. Nevertheless, despite its condition, it still provides an adequate amount of illumination to the stage.
Mechanically, both the coarse and fine focus mechanisms work smoothly and precisely. As noted above, this instrument is missing the iris diaphragm under the stage and the slide clips atop the stage.
The Red Mahogany wood case that houses this instrument is in very good serviceable condition. In fact, it even includes a working lock with a set of duplicate keys – a situation not often found for such antique microscope cases. However, the case is not original to the instrument, but a suitable replacement from the same time period as the instrument that it contains.
All in all, this is a very well preserved example of the Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company’s Professional Model microscope. Given its overall good fully functional condition, it will certainly be a highly prized addition to any antique microscope collection, especially one that has an emphasis on American made instruments.
ABOUT THE GUNDLACH-MANHATTAN OPTICAL COMPANY (GMOC):
The roots of this optical company go back to 1872 when Ernst Gundlach, an optician in Berlin, Germany immigrated to the USA. At first he settled in Hackensack, New Jersey where he produced objective lenses of excellent quality. In 1876 Gundlach moved to Rochester, NY where he assumed the role of superintendent of the newly established microscope department of Bausch & Lomb Optical Company. However, due in part to his independent spirit and lack of business acumen, his career with the B&L firm would prove to be a short one.
In 1878, due to work related differences, Gundlach was forced to leave Bausch & Lomb. In 1879, he and Lewis R. Sexton, set up an optical business in their home at 171 St. Paul Street in Rochester. Over the years, both while in the employ of Bausch & Lomb and while working independently, Ernst Gundlach was responsible for several significant US Patents for improvements in the design of the microscope and optical lenses.
In 1880, Gundlach moved to Hartford, CT, leaving Sexton in charge of their optical business. While in Hartford, Gundlach listed himself as an independent Optician - another manifestation of his independent spirit. In August 1884 Lewis R. Sexton died and Gundlach immediately returned to Rochester where he, along with several other new business partners, including H. H. Turner, J. Zellweger, and J. C. Reich, established the "Gundlach Optical Company." In published advertisements, they claimed to be "Sole Manufacturers of E. Gundlach's Microscopes and Objectives." During the next several years the company occupied several different locations in Rochester finally ending up at 761 South Clinton Avenue where the company stayed well into the 1930's. Beginning in 1890, the company gradually moved into the manufacture of lenses for cameras.
Early in 1895, for reasons known only to Gundlach himself, he left the original Grundlach Optical Company and established a rival company called the "Gundlach Photo-Optical Company" at 5 South Water Street, Rochester. In the meantime, on August 6, 1902, the original Gundlach Optical Company acquired the Manhattan Optical Company of Cresskill, New Jersey, and changed the name of the company to the "Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company." All of the machinery, stock, patents and business interests of the Manhattan Optical Co were moved to Rochester, NY where the company manufactured several types of cameras and microscopes.
In the year 1904, evidently frustrated with the competitive business environment in the USA, Ernst Gundlach returned to Berlin, Germany and founded yet another optical company on his home soil. This too would prove to be a short lived venture as Ernst Gundlach died in Berlin, Germany in the year 1908.
Back in the USA, The Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company continued operations until around 1926 when the name of the company was changed again to “Gundlach Manufacturing Company.” After this the company went through several ownership and operational changes until it ceased operations in 1972.
PURCHASE:
THE MONTANA LOGGER is very pleased to offer this nice Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company Antique Brass compound monocular Professional Microscope for a very reasonable “Buy-It-Now” cost. We will also entertain reasonable offers for this instrument.
NOTE: WE WARMLY WELCOME INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS. WE SHIP WORLDWIDE.
PAYMENT: Payment via PayPal is due within 3 days of purchase. Prompt payment is always very much appreciated.
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