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Mid 19th Century Microscope

This object is a microscope from the mid-19th century, made by the R & J Beck Company in London. The lenses of the microscope were made according the formulas of Joseph Jackson Lister, who invented the achromatic lens. Joseph Jackson Lister was the father of Joseph Lister, who is known for spearheading the use of antisepsis in surgery.

J.J. Lister was profoundly interested in natural history, but felt that microscopes of the time did not adequately detail the structure of cells of plants and animals. As a result of this he set about constructing and designing a superior achromatic lens, which in turn led to an optical microscope with far better resolution than ever before.