J. SWIFT & SON EARLY

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J. SWIFT & SON EARLY "MODEL P" PETROGRAPHIC POLARIZING MICROSCOPE W/CASE - C1953 For Sale

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J. SWIFT & SON EARLY "MODEL P" PETROGRAPHIC POLARIZING MICROSCOPE W/CASE - C1953:
$749.00

Payment | ShippingJ. SWIFT & SON EARLY "MODEL P" PETROGRAPHIC POLARIZING MICROSCOPE W/CASE - C1953
J Swift & Son Early "Model P" Petrographic Polarizing Microscope With Mahogany Wood Case - Circa 1953
You are invited to purchase a very nice fully-functional vintage early issue "Model P" Petrographic Polarizing Microscope by J. Swift & Son, Ltd. of London. Included with the microscope is the original Mahogany wood case with working lock and key that houses the instrument
This instrument is signed on the front face of the body tube, J. SWIFT & SON, LONDON. It also bears the serial number, 19488. This serial number dates the instrument to circa 1953, which centers around the same time that this model series P polarizing microscope line, designed by John H. Bassett, was first introduced by the firm. Based on its exhibited features as outlined in more detail below, this microscope appears to be one of the earliest iterations of the Swift & Sons Model P Series.As is mentioned in the 2003 publication entitled, The Petrographic Microscope: Evolution of a Mineralogical Research Instrument by Daniel E. Kile, petrographic microscopes and accessories are comparatively rare. For every 100 biological microscopes manufactured, perhaps only one was made for petrographic use. In addition, petrographic microscopes are much more complicated than biological microscopes. Although the magnifying powers used are comparable and not so great, there are attached appliances for special examination of mineral or chemical substances that require very careful adjustment.
This particular instrument is equipped with several special features such as a wide body tube able to accommodate crosshair eyepieces with a wide field of view, a prism analyzer on a box-form dovetail slider found at the lower end of the body tube, a rotating circular stage with peripheral vernier scale, and a swing-out combination Abbe condenser and rotating prism polarizer in the substage. There is also a unique optical slider inset into the top of the stage that provides for convergent light (more on this in the detailed description below). In addition, there is a provision for introducing compensator sliders into the optical path via a slot at the base of the body tube and a pair of centering screws for centering the dual position objective lens turret in the optical axis. These special features are designed for the detailed observation and analysis of thin sections of igneous rocks and minerals under polarized light.
Petrographic polarizing microscopes first made their appearance in Europe and the UK in the latter decades of the 19th Century. Such prominent microscope manufacturers as Nachet, Fuess, Lietz, Leiss, Zeiss, Reichert, Siebert, Swift and Son, Watson & Sons, Ross, Baker and several others all produced their own versions of this specialty instrument. American microscope manufacturers such as Bausch & Lomb and later the AO/Spencer Lens Company were soon to follow suit with their own versions of this specialty microscope.
J. Swift & Son introduced their first petrographic polarizing microscope in the year 1891. By the first decades of the 20th Century, Swift & Son issued a specialty catalogue of petrographic microscopes in 1922 that had expanded their line of petrographic polarizing microscopes to include the following models: The Primex, the Advanced Student, the Petros, the Survey, the Dick and Improved Dick, the Paragon binocular model, and the Universal Technical Microscope.
Later, beginning in 1953, J. Swift & Son, Ltd. introduced a new more modern line of petrographic polarizing microscopes that were designed by John H. Bassett. They included the Model P series, with one early example featured here, along with the Model S (biological) series and the Model M (metallurgical) series all based on a common stand. The Model P series was designed to be offered in several iterations, from the very simple to the more complex depending on the needs of the ultimate user. This fact is evident from a catalogue cut of the simplest form of the Model P extracted from Swift's 1957 Catalogue of Microscopes (see accompanying image - Special thanks to Daniel E. Kile for providing this image). Note the information in the caption regarding one's ability to customize this simple version of the Model P microscope with extra features in order to meet ones needs. Of the three major variants, the Model P series ultimately proved to be the most popular and successful model line, while the others faced stiff completion from other European manufacturers (mainly Leitz) and US manufacturers (mainly B&L and AO/Spencer).
NOTE: For more details on the history of the J. Swift & Son optical firm please see below.
For the antique/vintage microscope collector this Swift & Son Model P Petrographic Polarizing Microscope represents one of several significant advances in the evolution and design of this specialty microscope offered by the prestigious optical firm of J. Swift & Son, Ltd. of London. As such, it will be a most welcome and valuable addition to any antique/vintage microscope collection, especially one that centers on the petrographic polarizing microscope. Don't miss this opportunity to add this excellent J. Swift & Son, Ltd. Model P Petrographic Polarizing microscope to your collection!
DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
This microscope is built upon a very heavy and long horseshoe base of black lacquered metal and brass. Rising from the rear of the base are dual pillars or trunnions that terminate in a trunnion joint that captures the wide sweeping limb, stage and the rest of the instrument. The trunnion joint allows the instrument to be tilted to any angle from the vertical for the comfortable viewing of specimen slides.
An ample 110mm diameter rotating circular brass stage is provided. A pair of slide clips is found atop the stage. The periphery of the stage is marked in 1-degree increments for 360 degrees. Every 10th degree increment is numbered. One unique feature is found inset into the top of the stage, namely a dovetail mounted rectangular slider containing an open port and also a mounted optical lens that can be used in conjunction with the substage Abbe condenser to form convergent light for use in viewing conoscopic images. This unique feature is a variant of a similar slider found within the stage of the earlier Swift & Son A.B. Dick Model Petrographic Microscope.
Coarse focus is by angled rack & pinion controlled by a pair of milled heads found on either side of the limb. Fine focus is controlled with a pair of micrometer knobs found under and behind the coarse focus knobs.
The substage of this instrument features a swing-out combination Abbe condenser and rotating prism polarizer very similar to that found on Swift's earlier Advanced Student Petrographic Microscope. The combination condenser and polarizer can be moved closer to or further from the stage by simply manually sliding the unit up or down within a sleeve attached to the swing-out lever mechanism. Note: The NA of the condenser is unmarked and there is no iris diaphragm associated with this system. The outer rim of the prism polarizer is marked at the 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, and 350 degree levels. The lever carrying the combination condenser/polarizer assembly can be manually rotated completely outside of the optical path thereby allowing this microscope to be used for conventional brightfield microscopy in addition to polarization. Under the condenser/polarizer assembly is a yoke and pin mounted 40mm diameter plano-concave mirror. The pin attached to the yoke fits into a female receptacle on the distal end of the base of the limb allowing it to move in various directions to direct light to the stage. This mirror assembly completes the substage illumination system.
The body tube of this microscope is quite complex with several special features. At the top of the body tube is a wide ocular holder with dual slots in the holder for fixing the azimuth of a cross hair eyepiece. Accompanying this microscope is a wide body focusing eyepiece with a built-in crosshair reticle. A pin on the side of the eyepiece tube allows the azimuth of the eyepiece to be set in the ocular holder. Near the base of the body tube is a prism analyzer mounted in a box slider. This unit can also be slid horizontally in or out of the light path as it is also equipped with an open port. Under the analyzer slider is a port for the introduction of compensators. Note: No compensators are included. A circular dust cover for the compensator port is provided. The cover can be rotated into position by means of a finger lever to keep dust out of the body tube when no compensators are being used. Note: The upper portion of the body tube of this microscope lacks a blind port for a Bertrand lens and an associated iris diaphragm making for a more simple arrangement.
NOTE: The fact that this instrument is equipped with both a prism analyzer and prism polarizer versus an optical glass analyzer and polarizer used on later versions of the Model P is a good indication that this particular microscope is a very early version of the Model P series.
At the base of the body tube is a dual position revolving objective nosepiece that accommodates two (2) mounted objective lenses: A J. Swift & Son 1-inch 0.25 NA objective and a J. Swift & Son 1/4-inch 0.80 NA objective. The objective nosepiece can be centered in the optical path by means of a pair of adjustment screws found above the objective holder. Also included with the microscope is an additional J. Swift & Son high power 3mm 0.90 NA 55x objective in an objective canister. All objectives have RMS threads.
When the microscope is set up for observations in the vertical position it stands about 15 inches tall. The microscope weighs about 14 pounds, making for a relatively heavy and robust instrument.
Included with the microscope is a very nice Mahogany wood case with a working lock with key and brass carrying handle that is used to house the instrument when not in use. The interior of the case includes a slide-out rack that holds the eyepiece and additional objective lens in its canister. There are also built in slots for compensators, but, as previously mentioned, no compensators are included with this microscope. The exterior dimensions of the wood case are 16 inches tall by 6.75 inches wide by 9 inches deep. The microscope in its case weighs 19 pounds.
STATEMENT OF CONDITION:
NOTE: The accompanying images of the microscope taken from various angles and under natural light conditions are a part of this statement of condition. Please take the time to view all of the images to confirm what you will be getting should you be the proud new owner of this fine, precision crafted scientific instrument.
All in all this is a very handsome, well preserved and fully functional petrographic polarizing microscope.
Cosmetically, the black lacquered metal and Nickel-brass parts on this instrument are in very good condition (See accompanying images).
The optics associated with this microscope including those in the objectives, the crosshair eyepiece, and the Abbe condenser are in excellent condition with no evidence of scratches, fogging, fungus, delamination or other defects. The prisms in both the analyzer and the polarizer are in very good condition with absolutely no evidence of "prism disease" or other optical imperfections (See accompanying close-up images of these units). The plano-concave mirror under the stage is in excellent condition and provides excellent illumination to the stage.
The optics associated with this microscope combine to provide very pleasing views of crystals and mineral thin sections that I viewed under polarized light.
The mechanics are in very good to excellent condition. Both the rack and pinion coarse focus and the micrometer fine focus mechanism are well tensioned, smooth and very precise. The circular stage rotates freely and easily. The condenser/polarizer assembly moves smoothly both closer to and away from the stage.
This very fine J. Swift & Son, Ltd. very early Model P Petrographic Polarizing Microscope will most certainly be a highly prized addition to any antique/vintage microscope collection. Not only will it make for a superb historical petrological microscope display in a collection, be it private or institutional, but, as an added bonus, it still can be used to this day for serious microscopic observations of mineral, crystal or geologic thin sections under polarized light.
BRIEF HISTORY OF J. SWIFT & SON:
In 1853, James Powell Swift established an optical business at 15 Kingsland Road, London, N.E. Swift had apprenticed with Andrew Ross, one of the premier opticians of the day. Proud of his mentor's tutorship, Swift's early catalogues state, "Formerly with Mr. Andrew Ross."
In 1872, James Swift was located at 43 University Street, off Tottenham Court Road. In 1881 he could be found at 81 Tottenham Court Road, London W. C. where his business remained until after the turn of the Century. He then first referred to his business location as the University Optical Works, and featured this title in his advertisements in the scientific journals of the day from that time forward.
In the year 1883 James Smith published a very influential well written volume on the use of the microscope entitled, The Microscope And Accessory Apparatus: Notes On The Construction, Selection, And Use. This publication was very well received among both professional and amateur microscopists of the day.
In 1884, Swift's son, Mansell James Swift, joined the company. Thereafter, Swift's Catalogue of Microscopes was printed under the new firm name of James Swift & Son. James Swift and Son issued optical Catalogues until at least the year 1928.
In the year 1891 the firm using a fixed stage introduced its first petrological microscope with a revolving coupled polarizer-analyser. In the year 1901 the famous English explorer, Captain Scott, was supplied with Swift microscopes for use on his ship, the R.R.S. Discovery, for the 1901-1904 Expedition to Antarctica. This model microscope was named in subsequent Swift Catalogues as the Discovery model.
In 1903, Mansell Powell John Swift, grandson of the founder joined the firm. James Swift became a member of the Royal Microscopical Society (R.M.S.) on December 8, 1880. His son James Mansell became a member of the R.M.S. in 1906.
By the end of the 19th Century the firm was best known for their bacteriological, histological and petrological microscopes. James Swift also had a brother named Edward who made objectives for the trade.
The elder James Swift, founder of the firm, died in 1906. In the year 1912, the firm was incorporated as a limited company and its name was changed to J. Swift & Son, Ltd. Mansell Powell Smith died on the 12th of October 1942 at age 56. Tragically Mansell James Smith died only a day later at age 88 mainly, it was thought, from the shock of his son's premature death.
Despite the death of its founders, the firm continued to operate through the Second World War and beyond. In 1944, the premises at Tottenham Court Road, London were badly damaged by a German V1 rocket. After the war in 1946, E. R. Watts & Son, Ltd took over running the company mainly due to the longstanding close association between the Watts and Swift families in earlier years.
In 1949, John H. Bassett, joined the firm. Basset came to the firm from the electrical and electronic business sector and so entering the optical field represented a bit of a challenge for him. However, by the year 1953, Bassett had met the challenge and introduced a new line of polarizing microscopes that included the very successful Model P. Later that same year, he introduced an automatic point counter. In 1959, Bassett came up a proposed new design for the Model P, but the company directors decided not to market the new designs mainly due to stiff competition from other firms. As a result, Bassett left the company only to return in 1968 after he purchased the company and became its new CEO. By this time, however, the firm had left off building polarizing microscopes.
PURCHASE:
THE MONTANA LOGGER is very pleased to offer this fine vintage J. Swift & Son, Ltd. Model P Petrographic Polarizing microscope for a very reasonable Buy-It-Now cost. We will also entertain reasonable offers for this fine vintage instrument.
NOTES:
1. WE WARMLY WELCOME INTERNATIONAL buyers/BUYERS. WE SHIP WORLDWIDE.
2. BEST OFFERS: Please plan to submit your best offers as early as possible during the listing period. Due to the fact that we review each offer and judge it on its own merits, we may not be immediately available to review and respond to offers submitted during the last few hours or minutes of the listing period. Thanks!
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