Marshall Refracting Microscope, c. 1715

Commentary

Marshall Refracting Microscope, c. 1715

Nine inch refracting telescope by John Marshall, London, c.1715.

Source: Museum of the History of Science, Inventory No. 29666. Provenance: lent by Christ Church in 1924.  

Description: Pasteboard tubes covered with vellum tooled in gold; lignum vitae lens mounts. The effective aperture of the objective is 7/8". Length: 520 mm (closed).

The refracting telescopes in the Orrery Collection of the MHS are particularly interesting on account of their size and early date: not many telescopes have survived from this period. Two have pasteboard tubes covered with vellum with gold tooling. This is the older of the two, which has been signed by John Marshall (at the objective end). The earlier and larger example is dated c. 1690: MHS Inv. No. 23976.