collection of 40 Tolles workshop tools, eyepieces, and objectives
Date: 1860-1874
Inventory Number: 1045
Classification: Microscope Optics
Maker: Robert B. Tolles (1823 - 1883)
Maker: Boston Optical Works (fl. 1867 - 1895)
Maker: Charles X. Dalton (1840 - 1912)
Owner: Louis Agassiz (1807 - 1873)
Owner: Alexander Agassiz (1835 - 1910)
Maker: Charles A. Spencer and Sons (1865 - 1889)
Author: Elihu Thomson (1853 - 1937)
User: Department of Geology and Geography, Harvard University (1890 - 1961)
Cultural Region:
DescriptionCHSI inv. 1045a,b,c started out as three boxes (2 wood, 1 archival) holding about 40 Tolles standard and specialized objectives and oculars from various sources including Louis and Alexander Agassiz, the Geology Department, and other microscopes in the Collection.
In addition, 1045 contained Tolles sample parts and tools from his workshop along with some related manuscripts and documents. These belonged to Charles X. Dalton, Tolles's employee and successor. They were presented to Professor Harold Ernst for the medical museum collection of microscopes (which became the Ernst-Lewis Collection, and is now at CHSI). More rare documents were found stored in several CHSI inventory files.
The 1045 collection was reorganized in August 2008 in order to better serve researchers. It is now subdivided and reclassified into the inventory numbers below. Please note that CHSI has other Tolles materials (e.g., microscopes, objectives, and eyepieces) that remain classified under their original inventory numbers. Researchers should do a full search of Tolles in the Collection.
MANUSCRIPTS AND PAPERS
2008-1-0079: Tolles-Dalton Papers
BOXES
1045a: wooden microscope parts box (unsigned)
1045b: wooden microscope optics box with Tolles trade card
WORKSHOP TOOLS
1045c: box of 47 Tolles lens gauges from his workshop (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045d: Tolles workshop pattern or demonstration model: a section of body tube with a dummy objective showing the bayonet objective mount (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045e: Tolles workshop pattern or demonstration model: 2 adapters for the bayonet mount (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045f: Tolles workshop pattern or demonstration model: an adaptor sleeve for a Tolles solid eyepiece (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045g: Tolles workshop pattern or demonstration model: an exposed nose-piece fine focus (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045h: Tolles workshop pattern or demonstration model: a small cylindrical wooden box containing canister holding a solid objective element (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045i: tag for a section of a Tolles stand (missing), (stored in parts box 1045a)
OBJECTIVES
1016d: Tolles opaque specimen objective for Tolles microscope (now stored with CHSI inv. 1016)
1016e: Tolles side illumination objective for Tolles microscope (now stored with CHSI inv. 1016)
1016f: Tolles polarizing objective for Tolles microscope (now stored with CHSI inv. 1016)
1214a-g: 7 Tolles objectives from Zentmayer microscope (now stored with CHSI inv. 1214)
1045j: 2 Tolles objectives belonging to Louis Agassiz and 1 belonging to Alexander Agassiz
1045k: very high power objective commissioned from Tolles: 1/75
1045L: very high power objective commissioned from Tolles: 1/50
1045m: 3 miscellaneous Tolles objectives: 1/2, 1/8, 1/10
1045n: French 3-element objective mounted by Tolles
1045o: set of 5 Spencer objectives, one belonging to Louis Agassiz, plus an empty canister (all stored in Tolles box 1045b)
OCULARS
1045p: set of 5 Tolles solid eyepieces, 2 belonging to Louis Agassiz (all stored in Tolles box 1045b; individual eyepieces in the set are separately catalogued as 1045p-1 to 1045p-5)
1045q: 4 Tolles solid eyepieces, one incomplete
1045r: 1 French copy of a Tolles solid ocular
1045s: 2 Tolles solid ocular lenses unmounted, stored in a canister.
MISCELLANEOUS
1045t: Tolles condenser cell, lenses missing
1045u: pill box with mica cover slips and 2 glass filters
1045v: 2 Tolles canisters, one incomplete
In addition, 1045 contained Tolles sample parts and tools from his workshop along with some related manuscripts and documents. These belonged to Charles X. Dalton, Tolles's employee and successor. They were presented to Professor Harold Ernst for the medical museum collection of microscopes (which became the Ernst-Lewis Collection, and is now at CHSI). More rare documents were found stored in several CHSI inventory files.
The 1045 collection was reorganized in August 2008 in order to better serve researchers. It is now subdivided and reclassified into the inventory numbers below. Please note that CHSI has other Tolles materials (e.g., microscopes, objectives, and eyepieces) that remain classified under their original inventory numbers. Researchers should do a full search of Tolles in the Collection.
MANUSCRIPTS AND PAPERS
2008-1-0079: Tolles-Dalton Papers
BOXES
1045a: wooden microscope parts box (unsigned)
1045b: wooden microscope optics box with Tolles trade card
WORKSHOP TOOLS
1045c: box of 47 Tolles lens gauges from his workshop (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045d: Tolles workshop pattern or demonstration model: a section of body tube with a dummy objective showing the bayonet objective mount (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045e: Tolles workshop pattern or demonstration model: 2 adapters for the bayonet mount (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045f: Tolles workshop pattern or demonstration model: an adaptor sleeve for a Tolles solid eyepiece (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045g: Tolles workshop pattern or demonstration model: an exposed nose-piece fine focus (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045h: Tolles workshop pattern or demonstration model: a small cylindrical wooden box containing canister holding a solid objective element (stored in parts box 1045a)
1045i: tag for a section of a Tolles stand (missing), (stored in parts box 1045a)
OBJECTIVES
1016d: Tolles opaque specimen objective for Tolles microscope (now stored with CHSI inv. 1016)
1016e: Tolles side illumination objective for Tolles microscope (now stored with CHSI inv. 1016)
1016f: Tolles polarizing objective for Tolles microscope (now stored with CHSI inv. 1016)
1214a-g: 7 Tolles objectives from Zentmayer microscope (now stored with CHSI inv. 1214)
1045j: 2 Tolles objectives belonging to Louis Agassiz and 1 belonging to Alexander Agassiz
1045k: very high power objective commissioned from Tolles: 1/75
1045L: very high power objective commissioned from Tolles: 1/50
1045m: 3 miscellaneous Tolles objectives: 1/2, 1/8, 1/10
1045n: French 3-element objective mounted by Tolles
1045o: set of 5 Spencer objectives, one belonging to Louis Agassiz, plus an empty canister (all stored in Tolles box 1045b)
OCULARS
1045p: set of 5 Tolles solid eyepieces, 2 belonging to Louis Agassiz (all stored in Tolles box 1045b; individual eyepieces in the set are separately catalogued as 1045p-1 to 1045p-5)
1045q: 4 Tolles solid eyepieces, one incomplete
1045r: 1 French copy of a Tolles solid ocular
1045s: 2 Tolles solid ocular lenses unmounted, stored in a canister.
MISCELLANEOUS
1045t: Tolles condenser cell, lenses missing
1045u: pill box with mica cover slips and 2 glass filters
1045v: 2 Tolles canisters, one incomplete
In Collection(s)
Curatorial RemarksSee the file for 1045 for more details on the types of optical elements, their dates, and how they performed under tests by Ebenezer Gay.