How old is my microscope?

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Captainmarut
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How old is my microscope?

#1 Post by Captainmarut » Sat Mar 25, 2023 10:26 am

Hello all,

A couple of years ago I bought an old Olympus GB microscope in original state. I am trying to find out what year its from since I would love to get to know that.

Its an Olympus GB with serial number 276292

Original guarantee form is included, but not filled in unfortunately.

Trying to look it up online but can not find it.

I hope anyone can help me further :-) Thanks in advance!

MichaelG.
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#2 Post by MichaelG. » Sat Mar 25, 2023 5:09 pm

Too many 'projects'

Captainmarut
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#3 Post by Captainmarut » Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:09 pm

Wow, that would be amazing. Do you have any idea until which year this model was produced and sold?

thanks a lot.

Hobbyst46
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#4 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:19 pm

Captainmarut wrote:
Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:09 pm
Wow, that would be amazing. Do you have any idea until which year this model was produced and sold?

thanks a lot.
There is a running thread here named "Olympus microscope time series" or the like. It might provide a clue.

MichaelG.
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#5 Post by MichaelG. » Sun Mar 26, 2023 5:39 pm

Captainmarut wrote:
Sun Mar 26, 2023 12:09 pm
Wow, that would be amazing. Do you have any idea until which year this model was produced and sold?

thanks a lot.
Only from that timeline that I linked … which appears to show that Olympus abandoned Black around 1957

I admire them from afar, but have no great knowledge of the Olympus range.

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

apochronaut
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#6 Post by apochronaut » Mon Mar 27, 2023 11:59 am

That's an interesting history that Evident trots out there. Post war objectives on supposedly 1930's instruments, chrome plating on a microscope before it was used anywhere on anything , M & Katera ( Tiyoda) microscopes pictured as being made by Olympus. and the the first microscope to feature an externsl light source in 1957!
Detarame.

MichaelG.
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#7 Post by MichaelG. » Mon Mar 27, 2023 12:15 pm

apochronaut wrote:
Mon Mar 27, 2023 11:59 am
That's an interesting history that Evident trots out there.
[…]
Detarame.
:o … I had innocently assumed [given the branding, and the URL] that the history must be according to Olympus :oops:

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

apochronaut
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#8 Post by apochronaut » Mon Mar 27, 2023 1:46 pm

It is but Evident has removed reference to any prior branding or influence. There used to be a smidjen of transparency. All companies like to paint a rosy picture of their progression and most focus on the good stuff but this one is pretty extreme.
There is no evidence that Olympus actually manufactured lenses prior to W.W. II. M & Katera, who had been making microscopes for at least 6 years prior to Kogaku Kikei Sensakusho's first efforts probably used Leitz glass, or maybe Reichert. They later made a version of the Heimdal folding microscope for the Japanese army, so Reichert may be possible but the example I have from 1914-20 seems to be very much Leitz .
Kogaku Kikei Sensakusho's first microscopes were derivative too, also using 37mm parfocal objectives, with distinctively European lines to them. Some look exactly like Leitz. At some point, after they abandoned thermometer mfg. having rebranded themselves Olympus, they changed to 36 2/3 mm, an odd length to be sure but it just happens to be the same as Bausch & Lomb. Those objectives show up after the war, during the Occupied Japan era when the U.S. presence was heavy. Coincidentally, B & L marketed the KHS as a Bausch & Lomb Galen I sometime later. Japan would have been allowed limited industrial contact with Germany after the war, maybe none in optics, so I guess B & L graciously stepped in to help out but forcing a parfocal change.
I would love to find some Olympus short parfocal objectives made before 1945 but I haven't seen any. I do not think they exist. I'm pretty sure they were 37mm parfocal right ip to 1945 or 46.
A little known fact is that due to Japan's Kazoku system, Nippon Kogaku enjoyed a priveleged position with the government and received most if not all gov't spending for r & d prior to and during W.W.. II. Even with that, they clearly also developed a dependence on foreign technology, in their case, Zeiss.
Last edited by apochronaut on Mon Mar 27, 2023 9:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

MichaelG.
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#9 Post by MichaelG. » Mon Mar 27, 2023 3:59 pm

Very interesting and helpful notes … Thank You

MichaelG.
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apochronaut
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#10 Post by apochronaut » Mon Mar 27, 2023 7:25 pm

Not specifically related to microscopes but certainly relavent.

https://mikeeckman.com/2019/01/nikon-an ... 1917-1945/

MichaelG.
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#11 Post by MichaelG. » Mon Mar 27, 2023 7:38 pm

Thanks again … I have just downloaded the thesis from the University website

MichaelG.
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apochronaut
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#12 Post by apochronaut » Mon Mar 27, 2023 9:31 pm


Captainmarut
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Re: How old is my microscope?

#13 Post by Captainmarut » Fri Mar 31, 2023 6:37 am

Wow, so many valuable replies. Thank you all so much. Much appreciated

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