Victorian scientific instruments are the precision tools for observation, measurement, calculation and demonstration made during the reign of Queen Victoria. They include microscopes, telescopes, barometers, thermometers, theodolites, sextants, drawing instruments, electrical apparatus, balances and the many teaching and demonstration models used in schools, lecture halls and private homes.
The nineteenth century was a golden age of scientific enthusiasm, and the expansion of industry, engineering, navigation, medicine and amateur natural history created strong demand for instruments of all kinds. London was a leading centre of manufacture, with firms such as Negretti and Zambra, Elliott Brothers, Troughton and Simms, Ross, Powell and Lealand and Smith and Beck producing work of great quality, often finished in lacquered brass and housed in fitted mahogany cases. Microscopes were particularly fashionable among gentleman naturalists, and barometers became common household objects. Collectors value instruments by named makers, complete with original cases, accessories and lenses, with unworn lacquer and crisp engraving. Repolished or relacquered brass, missing parts and replaced optics reduce value. Displayed on a desk or in a library, these instruments combine fine craftsmanship with fascinating technical history.
