c1845 Georg Oberhaeuser Antique Brass DRUM MICROSCOPE & CAMERA LUCIDA Compendium

Description

c1845 GEORG OBERHAEUSER ANTIQUE BRASS DRUM MICROSCOPE & CAMERA LUCIDA COMPENDIUM
MADE IN PARIS - SERIAL NUMBER 2694
This early microscope crafted by GEORG OBERHAEUSER and marked on the main tube "G. OBERHAEUSER - PLACE DAUPHINE - PARIS" is rare in that it not only an example of the rarified HORIZONTAL form of microscope first developed by G. AMICI in 1827 and improved upon by CHARLES CHEVALIER in 1834, but also incorporates the OBERHAEUSER CAMERA
LUCIDA first developed in 1839-1840.
SERIAL NUMBER "2694" found inked onto the leather base pad and also stamped into the OBJECTIVE box on the interior.
Of all the OBERHAEUSER microscope found in the comprehensive BILLINGS MICROSCOPE COLLECTION at the WALTER REED U.S. ARMY MEDICAL MUSEUM in Washington, D. C.,
there are NO EXAMPLES which incorporate either the HORIZONTAL TUBE format nor the
OBERHAEUSER CAMERA LUCIDA.
In the fabulous and comprehensive JEROEN MEESUSEN
-  PARIS, FRANCE microscope collection there are several early OBERHAEUSER microscopes, but there are only TWO (2) with the OBERHAEUSER CAMERA LUCIDA.   One like the one on offer is cased and the other of a different and larger form is not cased and is later in form.
Two (2) OBERHAEUSER drum microscopes in the MEESUSEN COLLECTION with no carry box carrying the SERIAL NUMBERS "644" & "656" are identical in form to the example we offer here - which carries the SERIAL NUMBER "2694" - which confirms that OBERHAEUSER produced this exact form for
well over a decade.   They do not have the HORIZONTAL CAMERA LUCIDA tube.  Another OBERHAEUSER with its box, and with the HORIZONTAL CAMERA LUCIDA tube and standard microscope optics IS identical in form to the OBERHAEUSER on offer herein and it belonged to the famed DR. EDWARD WEBER (1811-1871) and came with two letters by OBERHAEUSER to WEBER.
It is further interesting to note that in one of the letters penned by OBERHAEUSER to the famed DR. EDWARD WEBER in 1840 found in the MEESUSEN COLLECTION, he discusses his CAMERA LUCIDA.
Weber had just obtained in 1839 the degree of medical doctor in Heidelberg.
In the first letter of 9 April 1840, Oberhaeuser refers to this stand as "Körpermikroscop mit einer größerer Platte" (E: tubular microscope with a larger stage) or "microscope coudé" (E: horizontal microscope).
In addition, Oberhaeuser writes "I still have some of the 12 camera lucida that I made at once."
Collector Meesusen goes on to comment that 'contrary to an ordinary Oberhaeuser-type camera lucida, the example found in this Oberhauser set comes with a protection cap that has no screw-end and that the design of the cap proved impractical and failed to protect the prism from damage.'
So, we know that in 1840, OBERHAEUSER had made at least TWELVE (12) CAMERA LUCIDAS and by April of that year still had some on hand to sell.  And, as collector Meesusen has pointed out that in 1840 the caps apparently had some defects in protecting the prism due to not placing threads on the tube to hold securely a protective cap.
The example on offer does not have any protective caps for the main primary prism, but has long tubes attached on each point which does protect and HAS protected the primary prism perfectly from damage.   The primary prism found in the scope on offer is perfect and in full working condition.  As well, all optics are fine and the entire optical lens system works fine as well with respect to the horizontal microscope system.  The CAMERA LUCIDA accessory has a movable round shaped peep hole of sorts. We do not see any where where a smaller prism may have attached  -  but apparently one did - attached some how.  The few photos of the OBERHAEUSER CAMERA LUCIDA attachment we found on the Internet   too small to show any sort of small prism attached - but we did find a book from 1863 that describes that it did in fact have a small secondary prism.  Here is what we found;
A description of the Oberhaeuser Camera Lucida from the 1863 book The Microscope and Microscopic Technology by Heinrich Frey published by Wilhelm Engelmann - Leipzig (on pages 36-37), reads as follows:
"The camera lucida by Chevalier and Oberhäuser is more useful for our vertical instruments, although of course it is a little more expensive (costing 30-50 francs) than the simple drawing prism. It creates a complicated eyepiece with two prisms and completely reverses the image. [...] A tube (A) broken at right angles supports the prism at (d). In front of her is the eyepiece (B) with the collective (f) and the lens (e). At a distance from the latter is the small glass prism (C), surrounded by a black metal ring. The path of the light rays is clear. They enter the eye of the observer through the outer prism. However, this looks away from the small outer prism on a paper underneath and sees the microscopic image, which can be easily removed with a pencil. 
When in use, the eyepiece is replaced by the camera lucida and attached to the microscope tube with screw (b) . 
[...]
If you measure the strength of the magnification, which the lens system and the camera lucida give, then by pulling in the microscope tube [...] you can get round numbers by force 
[...]
Then the knee-shaped one Provide the same tube with the prism very easily with an eyepiece after removing their own and convert the microscope into a horizontal one, although light is lost."
See the one photo above that shows the corresponding cut that goes with the above
1863 description.  Apparently, there was a small secondary prism on the 'snout end' of the CAMERA LUCIDA.
The CAMERA LUCIDA attachment for the microscope on offer does however have a threaded canister, as opposed to one NOT THREADED - so it was improved upon over the older
examples  OBERHAEUSER crafted.
The exact form and exact size of this compound monocular OBERHAEUSER microscope on offer was first
introduced by OBERHAEUSER in 1835 and is shown discussed in the catalogue representing THE BILLINGS MICROSCOPE COLLECTION.
The OBERHAEUSER microscope on offer can also be used as a conventional VERTICAL DRUM
micr
oscope by removing the prism assembly and just inserting any one of the THREE (3)
eyepieces into the vertical tube.
STANDS 9 1/2" TALL in the CLOSED position - with HORIZONTAL TUBE ATTACHED.
It is also significant to note that a small MICROMETER SCALE is found on a small threaded tube with removable protective cap on one end - for use with this microscope compendium.   It is possible that another end cap was one time present, but possibly now missing.  Also a diffuser screen (worn) set into wood or other material mount and a crude paperboard and brass adjustable leaf diffuser comes with this outfit as shown.
The OBERHAEUSER HORIZONTAL MICROSCOPE & CAMERA LUCIDA compendium on offer herein lacks a carry case but does have all necessary accessories as shown.   All in all this microscope compendium is of the utmost
rarity and significance in the history of the development of the modern microscope, and not found in even the most advanced collections like the WELLCOME MUSEUM Collection and others, outside of the MEESUSEN MICROSCOPE COLLECTION.
A worn leather covered accessory box as is shown with broken hinge holds the three eyepieces, camera lucida and micrometer / tube.
HARTNACK married into the OBERHAEUSER family and took over making microscopes well into the 1880's - signing instruments with his name.  HARTNACK produce this CAMERA LUCIDA of identical form as well.  It was used in medicine and science for about half a century.
Wear and scratches c
onsistent with age and use.
The prism system works fine as well.   The original golden lacquer finish is present with only minor spots of discoloration and wear to finish.   P
lease
see
all photos as they are part of the description.
AS SHOWN ABOVE -
SOLD "AS-IS."   ASK ALL QUESTIONS.
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