A handsome late Victorian compound monocular microscope dating from approximately 1880–1900, constructed predominantly from lacquered brass and mounted on a substantial wooden base.
The microscope has a wonderfully sculptural form, with a tall brass optical tube, adjustable specimen stage, rack-and-pinion focusing mechanism and pivoting mirror beneath the stage for directing light through the specimen. The complete body can also be inclined for a more comfortable viewing angle.

A particularly attractive surviving piece of Victorian scientific equipment, retaining a lovely aged brass finish and showing the quality of construction associated with optical instruments of the period. It makes an excellent decorative object in its own right and would sit particularly well in a study, library, cabinet of curiosities or collection of antique scientific instruments.

The microscope is in good working order and produces a usable image. Please note that the upper eyepiece/ocular appears to be a later adapted or replacement lens rather than the original fitting. It has been mounted in a simple sleeve and functions, but this modification should be considered part of the instrument's history rather than an original component.

Made by Charles Baker of 244 High Holborn, London, one of the better-known British optical instrument makers of the 19th century. The engraved maker's address and construction suggest a date around the third quarter of the 19th century, circa 1870.

44cm / 17" tall

There is general age-related wear, patination and marking throughout, entirely consistent with a scientific instrument approximately 130 years old. No maker's name is currently visible, so I would describe it simply as a British or European late-19th-century microscope rather than attribute it to a particular manufacturer.