Index

Microscope Ross (c.1865)

Thomas Ross was the son of Andrew Ross, a founding member of the Microscopical Society of London (later the Royal Microscopical Society) in 1839 and arguably the best microscope maker in Victorian England alongside Powell & Lealand and Smith & Beck. Among other inventions, Ross was the first to build lenses with a correction collar, which allowed correcting chromatic aberration depending on the thickness of the lenses used in the preparations. In 1859, after the death of his father, Thomas inherits the company and after 3 months he is elected a member of London society to replace Andrew. For a number of years he was a partner of J H Dallmayer, of whom he was a brother-in-law, and a large manufacturer of optics. In 1862 he presented his own model of it at the London International Fair. He maintained a certain prestige of the firm until in 1906 the business was transferred to "Swift & Son", whose founding member, James Swift, had been an employee of his father.

Large Victorian microscope built approximately in 1875 by Thomas Ross, son of the famous Andrew Ross and with the serial number 3149. The model presented is one of the largest manufactured in the 19th century and is supplied with a large number of accessories. This one in particular is equipped with Rofs, Ross, Negretti&Zambra, Watson and Dallmeyer lenses. In working position it is about 55 cm tall and looks impressive. It is, without a doubt, one of the best microscopes built at the time. The mahogany box can be opened on both sides, allowing to store many optics, as well as other elements such as polarizer, analyzer, live-box, magnifying glass,…. The base is the typical one introduced by his father and which was widely copied for years in England.

References: G. Turner, "Great Age of the Microscope", pag 154-17

G. Turner, "Great Age of the Microscope", pag 157-159, Fig 150-152

G. Turner, Collecing Microscopes, pag 71

H. Moe, "The Story of the Microscope", pag 164-165, Collecing Microscopes, pag 71

Links: http://www.arsmachina.com/ross1183.htm

http://www.antique-microscopes.com/photos/rossbin.htm

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