Smith & Beck, London c1855

A good Victorian lacquered brass compound achromatic microscope, complete with its original case and accessories, signed and numbered on the body tube Smith & Beck 6 Coleman St London 1838.

The instrument and its accessories retain much of their original lacquer.

This instrument is an example of Smith & Beck’s microscope with ‘The Best Student’s, or No. 3 Stand’ with monocular body, housed in the original mahogany case together with a good set of accessories.

Below, you can see the box with all the accessories in it.  The full list of accessories is given on the next page.

The lenses and other accessories are generally in good condition; the erecting glass has a cracked lens, the 1/5” objective lens is partly obscured.

Box size 16½ x 8½ x 6¼ inches.

James Smith, a scientific instrument maker, commenced making microscopes in 1839 and took Richard Beck into partnership in 1847 trading as Smith & Beck at 6 Coleman Street, London. In 1851 Joseph Beck, the brother of Richard Beck, started working for the firm and became a partner in 1857 when the business name became Smith, Beck & Beck. When Smith retired in 1865 the business address was 31 Cornhill and the trading name changed to R & J Beck.

Stock No. C1061