Joseph Priestley's microscope made by Benjamin Martin at the New Invented Visual Glasses

Made:
London
maker:
Benjamin Martin
Joseph Priestley's microscope made by Benjamin Martin at the New Invented Visual Glasses Joseph Priestley's microscope made by Benjamin Martin at the New Invented Visual Glasses Joseph Priestley's microscope made by Benjamin Martin at the New Invented Visual Glasses Joseph Priestley's microscope made by Benjamin Martin at the New Invented Visual Glasses Joseph Priestley's microscope made by Benjamin Martin at the New Invented Visual Glasses Joseph Priestley's microscope made by Benjamin Martin at the New Invented Visual Glasses

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Joseph Priestley's microscope made by Benjamin Martin at the New Invented Visual Glasses, Fleet Street, London, with its receipted bill to Priestley dated Sept. 15 1767, complete with all accessories 33 items.

This microscope with accessories was purchased by Joseph Priestley in 1767 from the instrument maker Benjamin Martin (1704-1782) for the sum of £5 15s 6d.

Priestley referred to the use of a microscope in his work on photosynthesis. He observed that air whose quality was impaired by putrefaction, breathing of animals or burning of candles was restored by green matter which grew in water. This was seen to be vegetable in nature by William Bewley (1725-1783) who showed that it "came most properly under the denomination of the Conferva", Priestley himself recording "My own eyes having always been weak, I have, as much as possible, avoided the use of the microscope".

Details

Category:
Experimental Chemistry
Object Number:
1954-332
Measurements:
overall: 300 x 200 x 200 mm (approximate)
type:
microscope
credit:
National Maritime Museum

Parts

Microscope and receipted bill, 1767.

Joseph Priestley's microscope made by Benjamin Martin at the New Invented Visual Glasses, Fleet Street, London, complete with all accessories 33 items.

Object Number:
1954-332 Pt1
type:
microscope
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Case of accessories

Case of accessories.

Object Number:
1954-332 Pt2
type:
microscope
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London