A stylish continental design brass microscope by Leopold Schrauer.  The instrument stands 11 7/8” high in closed position.  It has the typical Continental style rack and pinion coarse focus and micrometer knob fine focus.  The twin nosepiece has two interior thread lenses, unsigned, but typical of the Nachet lenses that Schrauer used on his microscopes.  A wheel of stops is built into the stage.  The mirror is in excellent condition, concave on one side, with a black field disc on the other.  The mirror can rotate above the stage to provide illumination for opaque subjects.  The base is signed in a fine, delicate script, “ L. Schrauer, Maker, New York”.  The microscope is finished in lacquered brass.  Coverage is nearly complete with wear to the base and spotting overall.  The microscope does not have a case.  The unique base of this microscope sets it apart from the typical Continental design.  The horseshoe base is wider and more substantial and supports a cylindrical pillar.  Its profile tapers in towards the top, yielding a delicate profile that belies its weight.  The microscope can easily be tilted to a complete horizontal without tipping.  The heavy base may be Schrauer’s response to the initial criticism of the weak base support of the early Continentals.  While this instrument is solidly anchored, it nonetheless presents a very delicate and elegant profile, enhanced by the way the limb fits into the pillar and softened by the sculptural treatment of many of the hard edges.

Item 1400