We also have one of their very early binocular microscopes as well as monocular and binocular phase contrast microscopes. Most of them have the standard circular stage, but a few are square. Kluyver’s group seems to have used the basic Nedoptifa microscope for teaching – we have quite a few of them. Bleeker retired at the end of 1963, the company was eventually taken over by a Delft firm and then in 1978 the factory in Zeist was closed. The company cooperated with the Nobel prize-winner, Frits Zernike, in the development of phase contrast microscopy and held his patent on phase contrast microscopes. Most of their microscope production seems to have been after 1945, when the “Nedoptifa” name came into use. They began with the production of binoculars for the Dutch army, but production was interrupted by WW2. (Lili) Bleeker and Gerard Willemse in 1939, Nedoptifa rapidly became known for the high standard of their optical products. The youngest of the companies represented in our microscope collection is probably the least well-known, especially outside the Netherlands.įounded by Dr Caroline E. Some of the microscopes date from the late 19 th century, and even some of the 20 th century ones are more interesting than might be expected. Much of it was stored in the 1950s when the Laboratory of Microbiology moved from its original building, and has rarely been disturbed since then. Antoni van Leeuwenhoek in Spain - 3,489 viewsĪt the moment, sorting out the cupboards before our move has become very exciting as I’ve reached the microscope collection.Something Van Leeuwenhoek didn’t see! - 3,623 views.Beijerinck’s office (and the neighbours)… - 3,852 views.Delft, the Home of Microbiology - 6,500 views.Auld lang syne, new beginnings and a mystery solved - 6,750 views.What was this microscope used for? - 7,446 views.Professor Beijerinck’s samples have left the building… - 7,686 views.From “out of date junk” to “exciting and rare” – our microscope collection - 8,743 views.Delft’s Biological Labs 2: The originals.Playing with facsimile Van Leeuwenhoek microscopes - 10,521 views.The path to a ground-breaking paper - 10,569 views.
Delft University’s Biological Labs 1: The “Palace of Light” on the Nieuwelaan.The art of Henriette Beijerinck - 12,030 views.Life at comet temperatures - 12,098 views.Educational wall charts – where are they now? - 12,690 views.Here there be surprises! - 13,069 views.What is the Delft School of Microbiology? - 14,973 views.Finding more van Leeuwenhoek microscopes… - 15,795 views.Delft’s first microbiologist – Antonie van Leeuwenhoek - 18,419 views.The Delft School of Microbiology Archives - 24,339 views.