1962 ad, perhaps of interest

[PeteM]

This caught my eye: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1962-AH-ROBINS ... 000%7C7000

A staged photo at the time, as pretty much anything seems to be with a microscope in it these days?

But also a tribute to expertise.

1962 Robins Microscope Ad.jpg (30.38 KiB) Viewed 3628 times

[MicroBob]

Hi Pete,
nice ad!
It clearly shows why they got on so well with monocular microscopes in these days. Contrary to us today they keep the head further away and squintingly look though one eyepiece with both eyes. So much practical knowledge is lost, it's a pity!

Bob

[apochronaut]

They didn't squint. I received a microscopy book as a present when I was very young. It was called The Microscope and How to Use it by Dr. by Georg Stehli. He was old school and clearly believed in a microscopist being a trained profession. He didn't even use a nosepiece, preferring rather to unscrew and install, that would ensure more precise centering. He made a point of encouraging the user to keep the unused eye open and to teach the brain to block out what it was imaging. It's a skill worth learning and isn't that hard, and makes the use of a monocular microscope quite enjoyable, in fact , sometimes more enjoyable than using a binocular which can have subtle levels of mis-alignment and illumination disparities between sides. I have a 1918 Spencer # 5 monocular( the first Spencer # 5; they made two of them), with 3 apochromats , a 1.4 achromatic condenser and a circular revolving stage that is a joy to use. It was the top of the line research microscope during the Spanish Flu pandemic.

[wstenberg]

It looks like those medical students are taking a practical exam under the watchful eye of their professor. I would recommend moving those microscopes farther apart. It looks like the medical student on the left is staring at the answer sheet of the student's clipboard in the middle.

[BramHuntingNematodes]

He made a point of encouraging the user to keep the unused eye open and to teach the brain to block out what it was imaging. It's a skill worth learning and isn't that hard, and makes the use of a monocular microscope quite enjoyable,

We were still instructed in this technique for monocular petrographic microscopes as late as 2003 at the University of Georgia. In fact, I still do it today as an afocal camera setup is occupying the left eyepiece of my Dynoptic. Works especially well on those old black phenolic counters with nothing on them of interest to distract.

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Also microb, I understood your post to be a joke, in reference to the staged nature of the photo. I chuckled inwardly!

[MicroBob]

He made a point of encouraging the user to keep the unused eye open and to teach the brain to block out what it was imaging.

Hi Phil,
this works of cause, but the imaged student looks from 30cm or so away! @Bram: Of cause notmeant seriously!
It is worthwhile to know which is the leading eye for the use of a mono microscope: Stretch arms, form an aperture with both hands, look at something distant that is visible through the formed aperture with both eyes, move aperture closer to the head, it automatically moves towars the leading eye (in my case the left one). For monacular microscopy a dark and uniform area to look at is better for the weaker eye so there is not much visual information.
But people are very differnt in their vision. This is especially obvious, when it comes to stereo images. Some peopl can't see things that are easily visible for others. So there are probable people who don't get on very well with monocular microscopes.
I can in fact observe quite well with one eye but I never use monocular tubes. From the image quality a monocular has to be better than a binocular. It also gets along with the lowest illumination so the specimens are disturbed the least. And many monoculars are cheap (not all of cause) - a kind of scientific socialism.

There is an interesting use of the monocular microscopy looking method: The use of a drawing attatchment. Here image of object and pen tip are brought into one image and it is possible to make nice drawings. The Zeiss West attatchment for this is a magnificient piece of kit and was frighteningly expensive.

Bob