M0000703: Chest microscope belonging to Pope Benedict XIV

Previous title, replaced May 2020: Microscope belonging to Pope Benedict XIV

Image of an ornate chest microscope formerly owned by Pope Benedict XIV (1675-1758) with ornamental inlay in the base. The microscope was acquired by the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum at auction on 17 February 1925 (accession number R67/1949). The microscope is now held by the Science Museum (object number: A56294).

01 January 1930

1 photograph glass plate negative; 12 x 16.5 cm

Catalogue data comes from a combination of entries in the original glass plate registers, metadata created when the glass plates were digitised in the early 2000s and enhancements made by the cataloguer in 2020.

Please consult the digitised version as this item is fragile. Email library@wellcomecollection.org to request access to the physical item.