Compound microscope by Leitz, 1886-1889 (date from Leitz archive)
Signed: E. Leitz Wetzlar New-York 30 E 23d Str
The stand is a typical Type Ia (R. Beck, Mikroskope von Ernst Leitz in Wetzlar, pag. 34). It has a horseshoe foot with a square-base pillar that supports the trunnion. The plano-concave mirror is on a swinging arm that can slide on the limb.
Under the rectangular stage the movable diaphragm can slide in it and carries the stop.
The cylindrical limb has an arm with rackwork for coarse focus; fine focus is on the top of the limb by a micrometric screw with a graduated scale from 0 to 35; it is signed 1 100 atop. In front of the scale, on the limb, is fixed a needle to mark the position.
There are two clips and the top of the stage is covered with vulcanite.
There is an objective signed: 7, the eyepiece is signed: 3.
The original lacquer is still present.
The book in the background is: Ernst Leitz Optische Werke - Wetzlar 1849-1949, Erster e Zweiter Teil, Umschau Verlag, 1949.
Ludwig Leitz, the eldest son of E. Leitz the First, founded the New York branch in 1893. Ludwig came to the United States together with William Krafft, a Wetzlar-born individual with experience in foreign trade. The first address (1893-94) of the new enterprise was listed under the name of "William Krafft, Microscopes, Importer", at 30 East 23rd Street, New York, N.Y. In 1903, the Company took the name "Ernst Leitz Microscopes", still using the same address. From 1904 to 1906, the business of Ernst Leitz Microscopes listed 411 West 59th Street as its address in New York. It remained there till 1920.
