Watson 514402 monocular microscope and box

View this record on the National Museum of Australia's website

Type: Microscopes
Date: 1915
Place: London, England
Materials: Brass, Glass, Steel
Collection: School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine collection
Accession number: 1986.0063.0013

Description

A Watson 514402 monocular microscope and a wooden box. The box also contains the microscope with an eyepiece in place, two separate eyepieces and three objectives in cannisters. There is also a key on a piece of string.

According to inscriptions on the microscope and its case, this microscope was purchased from the Australian Watson company depot, and used at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Townsville, the North Head Quarantine Station in Sydney, and the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at the University of Sydney. Made by W Watson and Sons Ltd, in London, the microscope is complete with case, three objectives and two eyepieces. A 'compound microscope' was so named because it combined an ocular lens (eye lens) with an objective lens, greatly increasing the magnification of specimens. This Watson microscope could be adapted for numerous purposes, by changing the lenses to increase magnification, or by adjusting the stand and stage to a horizontal or vertical position. The Watson 'Edinburgh' series of microscopes was first produced for students at the University of Edinburgh. The popularity of the design led to the production of a range of microscopes with similar rigid foots and stands for a variety of purposes. This 'H' model was particularly popular, and according to the 1912-1913 Watson product catalogue: "It is the most completely fitted of the series, having a mechanical stage, compound substage, and graduated draw-tube. It is eminently suited for high-class laboratory work and is excellent for photo-micrography. The 'H' models is used in the laboratories of hospitals and medical schools throughout the world." The upright tripod base became a recognisable feature of English microscopes, differentiating them from the German microscopes with their 'Continental' horseshoe bases. William Watson began his optical business in London in 1837 and began manufacturing microscopes in the 1870s. The company W Watson & Son was established as an opticians and camera makers in 1837 in London. Known as W Watson & Sons Ltd from 1908, the company became a leading manufacturer of photographic equipment, magic lanterns, binoculars, microscopes, and movie projectors. Henry Baker (1867-1940), the grandson of W Watson, travelled to Australia to represent the firm in the 1888 Centennial International Exhibition. Baker established an Australian Branch of Watson Ltd, and became a valuable member of the local and international scientific community.

Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 5:50:38 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2025-04-14. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.