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The Microscope & the Scientific Revolution
The microscope was one of the most significant inventions of the Scientific Revolution, opening up completely new and miniaturised worlds. The first microscopes were invented in the first quarter of the 17th century in the Netherlands, but...
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Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke (1635-1703) was an English scientist, architect, and natural philosopher who became a key figure in the Scientific Revolution. Hooke conducted his scientific experiments outside the auspices of universities, and he was a great...
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Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) was the most important microscopist of the Scientific Revolution. The Dutchman made over 500 microscopes, many with a magnification far superior to contemporary models. His discoveries include bacteria...
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6 Key Instruments of the Scientific Revolution
The Scientific Revolution (1500-1700) was driven by several key inventions, all scientific instruments that became essential to achieving a greater understanding of the world around us. With instruments like the telescope, microscope, thermometer...
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Robert Hooke Microscope
A microscope of the type invented by the English scientist Robert Hooke (1635-1703). Made between 1671 and 1700. The device on the left, designed by Hooke, is a scotoscope which helped better illuminate the specimen under view in the microscope...
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Microscope of van Leeuwenhoeck
A model of the microscope created by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723). Made by the Boerhaave Museum, Leiden, 1983. The microscope used a glass bead as a magnifier, giving a much greater magnification than other types of lenses available...
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18th-Century Microscope
An early 18th-century microscope designed and made by John Marshall. It is a compound microscope, that is, it uses three lenses. Made of brass, wood, and other materials. (Science Museum, London)
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Leeuwenhoek Microscope
A model of a microscope designed and built by the Dutch microscopist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723). The device was unique as it used not the usual glass lenses but a tiny glass bea which gave a superior magnification. Measurements...
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Culpeper Microscope
A microscope with boxfoot made by George Adams in 1738. Based on a model designed by Edward Culpeper (1670-1737). The concave mirror at the base illuminated the specimen better than a flat mirror. (Science Museum, London)
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Microscope of Louis Pasteur
The compound monocular microscope of Louis Pasteur (1822-1895). Made by Nachet et fils, 1861-70. (Science Museum, London)