1923 Leitz Travelling Microscope

[dunk]

One from my collection which I've never used … and judging by the condition, unlikely the original owner used it very much either. At the time this microscope was sold, the Ernst Leitz directors were undecided whether or not to commence production of the first Leica camera but 31 Leica '0' series prototypes were produced for evaluation in 1923/24. In 1925 the first Leica 1 film camera went into production using the 24mm x 36mm film format. The same format was subsequently adopted by all 'miniature camera' manufacturers and is still in use today.


1923 Leitz Travelling Microscope

Leitz-brass-travelling-microscope.jpg (224 KiB) Viewed 4259 times

post-16859-14286973275365_thumb.jpeg (266.18 KiB) Viewed 4259 times

The instrument's serial number 210693 is also embossed onto the RHS edge of the case


Inside the case lid but not visible in the photo is the Geneva dealer's name plate which reads:


INDUSTRIE GÉNÉRALE d'OPTIQUE Marcel WIEGANDT 10 Grand Qual GENÉVE.


Pop, one of the Leica Forum moderators, kindly researched the original Geneva supplier and discovered the following:


Living in Switzerland, I did a quick Google for "Marcel Wiegandt" and found some hits.

February 1911: Drame - Samedi après midi à Genève, M. Marcel Wiegandt, opticien, fut l'objet d'une tentative 'd'assassinat de la part de son employé nommé Wilhelm Leist (?) de Mayence, âgé de 40 ans. N'ayant pas reussi, Leist s'empoisonna.

http://doc.rero.ch/lm.php?url=1000,25,1 ... 028_04.pdf

"Drama: this saturday afternoon a Mister Marcel Wiegandt, optician, became victim of an attempted assassination by his employee Wilhelm Leist in Geneva, aged 40 years. Having failed at killing his employer, Leist poisoned himself"

In a list of agents selling Leitz equipment:

http://www.science-info.net/docs/leitz/ ... tome-I.pdf

1947-1950 Marcel WIEGANDT, maître opticien

Les Vnrables Matres de la Loge Fidlit et Prudence

Apparently, an optician named Marcel Wiegandt was head of a Masonic Lodge in Geneva.


BW

dunk

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Thank you for showing this gorgeous instrument. I especially am fond of the folding crow foot!

[75RR]

That is a beautiful looking instrument.

Do you happen to know what it cost at the time it was made?

[MicroBob]

Hi dunk,
this is a beautiful instrument and case! It probably prooved to tiresome or difficult to actuall use it in the field and at the same time nobody had the bad idea to put it in a damp basement for storage. This design was quite common in the early 20th century, Reichert and Zeiss had similar instruments at least. I have a russian field microscope, probably a Zeiss - related design. There is an engraving "1937" on it, probably the year of production. Zeiss has set up a microscope factory in the 1920s for the russians and this microscope probably comes from this cooperation. It is very well made and the stand is in good condition but the objective lenses have suffered from fungus and are beyond repair.

Bob

[Scarodactyl]

I wish black and gold were still in vogue for scopes. Much as I love stuff from the beige era nothing has this kind of visual snap--what a beauty!

[MicroBob]

These brass parts were painted with a stained shellac. This doesn't hold up too well under the influence of sweat and abrasion an the microscopes start to look really used after a while. When they are put out of use the plain polished brass starts to discolour. And when such an istrument gets in the hands of and antique dealer with his polishing wheel (brass has to shine!) the fine countours and even surfaces are lost. So for beauty brass is nice, but for user classics I prefer black and chrome. I too don't like the hospital-beige colour range, especially when combined with an uninspired design. In non-black mictoscopy stuff I have and like my Phomi 1 (green-gray hammerite), PZO MB-30 (beige, but more towards yellow-brown and a beautifully designed stand), and my Leitz base sledge microtome (medium battleship grey).

Bob

[dunk]

These brass parts were painted with a stained shellac. This doesn't hold up too well under the influence of sweat and abrasion an the microscopes start to look really used after a while. When they are put out of use the plain polished brass starts to discolour. And when such an istrument gets in the hands of and antique dealer with his polishing wheel (brass has to shine!) the fine countours and even surfaces are lost. So for beauty brass is nice, but for user classics I prefer black and chrome. I too don't like the hospital-beige colour range, especially when combined with an uninspired design. In non-black mictoscopy stuff I have and like my Phomi 1 (green-gray hammerite), PZO MB-30 (beige, but more towards yellow-brown and a beautifully designed stand), and my Leitz base sledge microtome (medium battleship grey).

Bob

Another enamel and brass Leitz compound microscope in my collection. SN dates it to 1926 and it does have some lacquer wabi indicative of use.













Purchased from Ffordes Photographic, Inverness-shire in 2014 … they occasionally list vintage microscopes for £reasonable prices

I collect Leica cameras and the significance of this microscope is that 1926 coincides with production of the first Leica 1A camera fitted with the Leitz 50/3.5 Elmar lens … as distinct from the 1925 1A models fitted with Anastigmat and Elmax lenses.

BW

dunk

[MicroBob]

Again a very beautiful microscope in great condition! I like the fine focu knob with scale in plated metal and the roundeg knurls everywhere. These are really nice to grip, smooth and still with a lot of puchase. This type of knurling is long gone, the bombed knurling wheels difficult to obtain today.

Do you actually use these instruments? If in good condition they can offer a very fine image with just a bit more curvature of field.

Here an image of my only Leica camera. It has the collapsible lens. I did a lot of photography with cameras of this age after restoring them to full working condition. But this hobby went out of steam when I finally startet with digital photography in 2007.

Bob

[dunk]

Again a very beautiful microscope in great condition! I like the fine focu knob with scale in plated metal and the roundeg knurls everywhere. These are really nice to grip, smooth and still with a lot of puchase. This type of knurling is long gone, the bombed knurling wheels difficult to obtain today.

Do you actually use these instruments? If in good condition they can offer a very fine image with just a bit more curvature of field.

Here an image of my only Leica camera. It has the collapsible lens. I did a lot of photography with cameras of this age after restoring them to full working condition. But this hobby went out of steam when I finally startet with digital photography in 2007.

Bob

Your Leica IIF is in excellent condition. I have not yet used either of the Leitz microscopes for serious microscopy - but plan to use them more now that I have a suitable illuminator (Olympus LSD) . My current project requires a phase contrast 'scope thus have just acquired a Reichert Neopan 'scope. My stereo 'scopes include a Wild M4A and an Olympus SZIII … also have several ancient low mag. simple dissecting microscopes which are useful for examining e.g. meteorite specimens at public star parties (the indoor entertainment when inclement weather prevents astro observing) Star party visitors find the simple dissecting microscopes easy to use when examining meteorite specimens.

BW

dunk

[MicroBob]

ancient low mag. simple dissecting microscopes which are useful for examining e.g. meteorite specimens at public star parties

Interesting use of these instruments! I have been wondering for a while whether they still had a use today. Often new designs replace older ones and it is no longer in view that the old design had it's merits too. They take up little desk space and could be useful for checking purposes when making slides too.

[dunk]

ancient low mag. simple dissecting microscopes which are useful for examining e.g. meteorite specimens at public star parties

Interesting use of these instruments! I have been wondering for a while whether they still had a use today. Often new designs replace older ones and it is no longer in view that the old design had it's merits too. They take up little desk space and could be useful for checking purposes when making slides too.

And modern focusable LED torches fitted with diffusers and long life batteries serve as excellent illuminators when using vintage dissecting 'scopes … see new Microscopes at Star Party thread

BW

dunk