Item #CNFBV122 The History of the Microscope; Compiled from Original Instruments. Reginald S. Clay, Thomas H. Court.
The History of the Microscope; Compiled from Original Instruments...
The History of the Microscope; Compiled from Original Instruments...
The History of the Microscope; Compiled from Original Instruments...
The History of the Microscope; Compiled from Original Instruments...

The History of the Microscope; Compiled from Original Instruments...

London: Charles Griffin and Company, Limited, 1932. First Edition. Hardcover. Quarto size, 282 pp. Near fine. Item #CNFBV122

Reginald Stanley Clay (1868-1964) published this work, with fellow author Thomas H. Court, while a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society; he served from 1936-1937 as its President.

According to a contemporary review, "[the] work is an abundantly illustrated technical account of the evolution of the compound microscope from its invention in 1590 by the Janssens in Holland up to about 1845...[and] consists of a succint review of the history of magnifiers" with the authors "concerned more with the general pattern, the mechanical parts, and the accessories, rather than with the optical parts and the formulae for the lens system, largely for the simple reason that the evolution of these parts was slow and of little significance" (n.b., from the online University of Chicago Press Journals, this review found in Isis, Volume 21, Number 1, April 1934).

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full rust-coloured cloth, both boards with a narrow, blind-debossed ruled border, the front board with the publisher's device blind-debossed, spine with gilt lettering and ruled borders at head and tail, verso of half-title with one-page publisher's ad for "Other Books of Interest", a small sheet of "Corrigenda and Addenda" tipped in between the Contents and List of Illustrations, the volume replete with 164 half-tone reproductions of photographs and charts; quarto size (10" by 7 5/8"), pagination: [i-v] vi-xiv [2, blanks] 1-266 which includes at the rear, a "List of Instrument Makers" and Indices by both Names and Subject.

___CONDITION: Near fine, with clean boards, straight corners with a bare hint of rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner names; some bumping to the head and tail of the spine, and two pencilled markings on the pastedown endpapers (both likely from prior booksellers), on the front a vintage price of GBP 150 and on the rear (likely an) inventory number.

___CITATION: Garrison-Morton no. 271 which states: "A classic history of microscopes up to 1800".

___POSTAGE: Please note that this is an unusally heavy volume and additional postage may apply; please inquire for details.

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Price: $175.00