Bausch & Lomb Microscopes

Q I have a Bausch & Lomb microscope from the early 1900s last used from 1933 to the 1960s. There are two numbers on it, 14738 and 17227. It’s a family heirloom but I’d like to sell it.

A Bausch + Lomb was established by John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb in Rochester, New York. Bausch had an optical goods store starting in 1853. He borrowed $60 from Lomb and made him a partner when the business became successful. The company made rubber eyeglass frames and other optical products. It began making microscopes in 1876. Binoculars, eyeglass lenses, photographic lenses, telescopes, and other optical products were made by the end of the 1800s. The company is still in business, a division of Bausch Health Companies Inc., and is the world’s largest maker of eye care products. The numbers on your microscope indicate it was made in 1894 or 1895. Prices have dropped. Brass microscopes made in the 1890s sell for under $150.