top of page

Leeuwenhoek Microscope Replica

 

This is a replica of the famous microscope made by Anthony Philips van Leeuwenhoek, now deposited in the Museum Boerhaave in Leiden. Of an estimated number of about 500 microscopes made by Leeuwenhoek, including 29 specimens that were sent by his daughter after his death to the Royal Society in London and later lost, only ten or eleven survived to date. One of these microscopes has an estimated magnification of 277X, but according to Brian Ford (in Single Lens, the Story of the Simple Microscope), a 500X magnification could be reached as well. 

This replica was made by Christopher Allen. It magnifies ~100X. 

Leeuwenhoek used such single microscopes, all made by him, for the inspection of nearly everything that he could reach, discovering on the way the blood cells, spermatozoa, bacteria, and protozoa in pond water. Together with Robert Hook, who used a compound microscope, Leeuwenhoek was the main pioneer of microscopy and one of the most significant scientists of the 17th century. 

Scientific work made with this model: Leeuwenhoek used such single microscopes, all made by him, for the inspection of nearly everything that he could reach, discovering on the way the blood cells, spermatozoa, bacteria, and protozoa in pond water. Together with Robert Hook, who used a compound microscope, Leeuwenhoek was the main pioneer of microscopy and one of the most significant scientists of the 17th century. 

ReferencesFord 1985; Boerhaave: V07017, V07018, V07019, V30337.

© Microscope History all rights reserved

bottom of page