Compound Microscope, c. 1853 (Inv. 53440). Despite being over 150 years old, this microscope from the Museum’s collection looks remarkably similar to the one from Robyn’s story – although that one wasn’t so shiny.
Name: Robyn
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
From: Surrey, UK
Object: Microscope
Story: For Christmas one year, when I was about 9, I was given a small microscope for children, and for the first couple of weeks I could not have been more excited. But, once I had looked at my hair, some onion and some (very dull) soil I was convinced I’d run out of things to do with it. This changed when my younger sisters came home from school with nits and I realised that I could place them under the microscope once they had been combed out. I can still remember the fascination and horror we all felt at seeing a living creature through the microscope lens.
A great way to use a microscope. I remember having one but soon got bored. Shame I didn’t come up with your idea. The closest I got to it was a dead fly!