The 17th century saw the microscope put to its first serious use; a number of natural philosophers set about exploring the microscopic world. Henry Power's poem captures the optimism about its potential. After the 1665 publication of Robert Hooke's book Micrographia, and the work of natural philosophers on the continent, the only problem that seemed to stand in the way of the further use of the microscope was the fear that it had shown all that it was possible to see of the microscopic world. From this early period the Whipple Museum has two microscopes, one of them English, the other Italian (Image 1).
The 18th century
In the 1740s a number of books were published that seemed to give the microscope new direction. Before this there was a perceived decline in the use of the instrument. 'Perceived', both then and now, because the relatively high production and use of the microscope did not match the relatively low number of important discoveries. Two optical problems stood in the way of further development: spherical and chromatic aberration.
Rather than concentrate on these problems, the articles here covering the 18th century deal with the ways in which the microscope was manufactured and sold; the way in which it was used in public demonstrations; and the various ways in which the instrument's design was altered to meet the needs of its users. The work of 'natural philosophers', many of whom were fascinated with the microscopic world, provides enormous amounts of historical material, and allows us to try to understand the 18th century on its own terms.
