Two types of microscope had dominated the market in the first half of the 18th century: the pocket microscope first described in 1702 by James Wilson, and the Culpeper-type microscope (Image 2). Of the latter the natural philosopher Henry Baker (1698-1774) wrote the following:
"when examining daily the Configurations of Saline Substances, the Legs were continual Impediments to my turning about the Slips of Glass; and indeed I had found them frequently so on other Occasions. Pulling the body of the Instrument up and down was likewise subject to Jerks, which caused a Difficulty in fixing it exactly at the Focus: there was also no good Contrivance for viewing opake Objects." (1)
A 'new-constructed' microscope
Baker told John Cuff (1708?-1772?), a specialist microscope maker, of these complaints and within a year "Mr. Cuff's new-constructed Double Microscope" (Image 2) had been designed, and quickly became the most popular model available. (The Culpeper-type microscope did not die out immediately; two of the microscopes made by Cuff held at the Whipple are of this type, which continued to be made well into the 19th century.)
Cuff was declared bankrupt in 1750, in spite of Baker's continual support and the popularity of the new design. This misfortune was followed by increased competition, which occurred when Benjamin Martin took the shop next door to Cuff on Fleet Street. Baker described the situation in a letter of 1757:
"one Martin (a Man unknown to me), took a House adjoining to his [Cuff's], and by advertising, and puffing, and by the Mistakes of many who took one Shop for the other, did him [Cuff] much Disservice" (2)
