Left to Right: Lot 3011 Hasselblad 500C (£600-800), Lot 3061 19th & 20th century photographic postcard (£150-250) & Lot 3000 Leica DBP M3 35mm (£500-1,000)
Science: Instruments of Observation and Inquiry
Scientific instruments offer a window into the ways people have studied and interpreted the natural world. Impressive in scale and presence are the
Russian Helios PNB-2 military observation binoculars, mid twentieth century, complete with accessories, service manual and original tripod. Known colloquially as “Big Eye” binoculars, their large objective lenses, wide range of elevation and 360 degree rotation made them suitable for long range surveillance and astronomical observation. They remain prized as both functional instruments and sculptural display pieces. From a much earlier period comes a nineteenth century
R and J Beck brass binocular microscope, numbered 6386. Beck were leading makers of scientific optical equipment in Victorian London, and this example, housed with a box of eyepieces, objectives and condensers, illustrates the refinement of British microscope design during the period when cellular structures were first being studied in detail. Equally fascinating is a
Victorian specimen cabinet belonging to Dr Arthur Bristow, containing prepared microscope slides of miniature photographs, botanical samples and pathological and histological specimens. With its glazed door, bone handled drawers and green felt linings, the cabinet evokes the Victorian passion for classification and enquiry, while the surviving portrait of Bristow adds a personal dimension to this compact scientific archive.