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Optical Characteristics of a Leeuwenhoek Microscope

Correlated images of a section cut by Leeuwenhoek in 1674 reveal the optical quality of the single lens.
Here we see a section of pith from Sambucus nigra (elder) imaged through four microsopical systems:

Correlated micrographs

[Top left] View with Original Leeuwenhoek microscope.
[Top right] Modern Leitz optical microscope (light-ground).
[Bottom Left] Modern Leitz optical microscope (dark-ground).
[Bottom right] Cambridge Stereoscan electron microscope image.

Open Leeuwenhoek introduction, or see micrographs taken with simple microscopes [illustrated]