Microscope Museum

Collection of antique microscopes and other scientific instruments

Microscope 517 (Charles Baker; travelling microscope; c. 1870)

The business of Baker was founded in London in about 1765, Charles Baker, who was born in 1820, giving his name to the company from about 1851. When Charles Baker died in 1894 the firm continued under the same name but run by the Curties family until it became, in 1936, Charles Baker & Co. and subsequently, sometime in the 1940s, C. Baker Ltd. The firm’s address mostly given as 244 High Holborn, London (but sometimes 243 and 245, sometimes in combination). The firm produced optical and surgical instruments. In 1963, Vickers acquired the C Baker Ltd microscope factory and a new company called Vickers Instruments was formed. Microscope 517 is signed with ‘BAKER, LONDON’ and is a version of the Baker’s travelling (or traveller’s) microscope. The instrument should be dated to c. 1870. Today, these types of instruments are frequently referred to as a Baker Moginie-style, or more simply a Moginie microscope.

According to Jabez Hogg in his book “The microscope its history construction and application”, editions of 1867, 1869 and 1871 (Figure 1), the Traveller's Microscope combined “steadiness with extreme portability” and “The compound body is permanently affixed to the fore-leg of the tripod-stand; the two other legs are supported on capstan-bar joints, which can be tightened at pleasure, or folded up parallel with the former when not in use. The difficulty of using high powers with an instrument the body of which slides in cloth is well known; the tube becomes tarnished by continued use, and a firm adjustment, which shall be easy of access, is almost indispensable. To obtain an approximate focus, the inner tube is drawn out until the combined length of the tubes is eight inches; the body is then returned to its "jacket," and placed at a proper distance from the stage to suit the object-glass employed. The fine adjustment is effected by means of a tangent-screw (fifty threads to the inch) placed conveniently behind the body, and worked by a milled head acting on a spring contained in the upright which supports the body. This part of the instrument is very satisfactory; it is steady and works efficiently. A mechanical stage is not generally applied, but can be if required. Sufficient movement is obtained by a plain stage, with two springs to hold the live-box or glass slip. The whole merit of this invention is due to Mr. Moginie, of Mr. Baker's establishment, Holborn, who has devoted much time and thoughtfulness towards bringing it to its present state of perfection”.

According to William Carpenter in his book “The microscope and its revelations”, editions of 1868, 1875 and 1883 (Figure 1), the Baker’s Travelling microscope was an instrument devised by Mr. Moginie and “The Body slides in a tube which is attached to a stem that carries at its lower end a small Stage and Mirror. The Stem itself contains a fine adjustment that is worked by a milled-head at its summit; and near to this is attached by a pivot joint a pair of legs, which, when opened out, form with the stem a firm tripod support. The coarse adjustment having been made by sliding the body through the tube which grasps it, the fine adjustment is made by the milled-head; and thus even high powers may be very conveniently worked. The legs being tubular, one of them is made to hold glass dipping-tubes, whilst the other contains needles set in handles, with three short legs of steel wire, by screwing which into the stem and stage, the instrument may be used (though not without risk of overturn) in the vertical position. Where the extreme of portability, however, is not required, a folding foot is supplied, which enables the Microscope to be used in the vertical position with satisfactory security and steadiness and the instrument thus fitted can be packed into a small flat box, in such a limited compass that space is still left for the Objectives and Accessory apparatus most useful to the working Naturalist. This instrument may be specially recommended to those who, already possessing a superior Microscope, desire neither to encumber themselves with it whilst travelling, nor to expose it to the risk of injury, but wish to utilize its Objectives by means of a simple and portable arrangement”.

It is not totally clear if William Moginie, who designed the Baker’s travelling microscope, was an employee of Charles Baker, a consultant to the firm, and/or a microscope maker in his own right, who sold some of his production to Baker (although it looks that Moginie worked for Baker at least between 1861 and 1868). The Baker/Moginie-style travelling microscope was one of the first attempts to create a sturdy field microscope for professional use. At that time, it was common for contemporary microscope makers in England, and elsewhere, to freely copy each other's work. Consequently, the design for the Traveller's Microscope, as described above, was later copied by others including John Browning, Watson & Son, and several other unknown manufacturers.

Figure 1. Baker’s travelling microscope as featured in the 1867, 1869 and 1871 editions of the Jabez Hogg’s book “The microscope its history construction and application”, and in the 1868, 1875 and 1883 editions of the William Carpenter’s book “The microscope and its revelations”.