What is so Special about an Antique Microscope?
Anyone who has ever seen or used an antique microscope knows immediately that they are something special. The feel of the metal in your hand, the satisfying action of focusing the rings or raising or lowering the slide plate, and the sturdiness with which they are built all make looking through an antique microscope a true joy. Although somewhat rare, the benefits of a classic microscope are great, and even the act of searching for one can be a wonderful experience in itself. The earliest microscopes are known as optical microscopes, or simply light microscopes, because they rely on lenses to magnify visible light in order to better study a specimen on a slide. Newer microscopes are often of a non-optical type, which may use some sort of special staining, with ions or chemicals, to achieve incredible magnifications far beyond that which can be achieved with an optical microscope. These newer types include things like transmission and scanning electron microscopes. An antique microscope
