Antony van =
Leeuwenhoek, the=20
Dutch father of microbiology, made more =
than 500=20
microscopes some 300 years ago. Each was =
little=20
bigger than a postage stamp and all but =
nine=20
have since disappeared. Of those, at =
least one=20
is probably a copy.
All the others are in =
museums,=20
with one remaining in private hands. It =
was=20
owned by Dr J J Willemse of Rotterdam, =
who found=20
it in a box of laboratory impedimenta he =
purchased from the Zoological Department =
of=20
Leiden University in 1978. The little=20
microscope, less than 40mm long, had =
once been=20
in the collection of R T Maitland, =
Director of=20
the Zoological Gardens in The Hague, and =
its=20
rediscovery amongst oddments in Leiden =
thirty=20
years ago was a remarkable event.
Estimates of the sale =
price had=20
ranged up to =A3100,000. Brian J Ford, =
the=20
authority on Leeuwenhoek, said the sale =
was the=20
most dramatic he has attended. =93Many =
items sell=20
in a matter of seconds, but this one =
lasted a=20
tense five minutes,=94 he said. =93It =
began slowly,=20
at =A345,000, then =A348,000. Most of =
the bidding=20
came from the Internet and by phone. At =
=A3200,000=20
it stalled, but it picked up again and =
reached a=20
total of =A3321,237.50 =96 the buyer it =
still a=20
mystery.=94
European museums and =
private=20
collectors were among the challengers. =
=93The=20
Deutsches Museum in Munich owns two of =
the=20
silver microscopes=94 Professor Ford =
says, =93And=20
from what I could hear from the =
telephonists, I=20
believe they were among the highest =
unsuccessful=20
bidders.=94