19th Nov, 2021 12:00
Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science
An Important 18th Century Cumming's Pattern Cutting Engine or Microtome
Possibly French, c.1770, unsigned, the body of the instrument is made of brass tube finished on the oustside with a black and mottled red fired enamel to simulate tortoiseshell, at the bottom is a lacquered brass end with a wheel engraved with a scale on a fine steel thread, as the wheel is turned the specimen is raised in front of the blade at the other end, the scale is marked against the brass stop next to the wheel, at the other end is the rotating elliptical blade, this is rotated by turning the polished lignum handle, two knurled wheel at the side are used to hold the blade in place and stop rotation, the other is used to hod the specimen push rod securely in the body of the instrument, the cutting engine comes in its original Fine red Moroccan leather-covered case lined to the inside with red chamois leather, in the case, there is the original shaped stone for sharpening the elliptical blade, a glass slide, a cut-glass bottle with a stopper and another similar but taller with a silver cap, the case 17.4cm wide
Footnotes:
The Cumming's Cutting Engine - The instrument that changed microscopy.
In 1770 a book was published by John Hill (b.1714 – d.1755) on the structure of wood as examined under the microscope. In this book ‘The Construction of Timber from its Early Growth, Explained by the Microscope’, Hill illustrated finely cut sections of wood which were only made possible due to the recent invention of cutting engine or microtome designed and built by Alexander Cumming (ca.1743 – d.1814). This instrument allowed thin sections to be cut so that light could pass through enabling, for the first time, microscopists to see the cell structure of plants. This simple step revolutionised the use of the microscope into a serious scientific instrument. It was George Adams,, then, maker of scientific instruments to King George III, who before this pivotal moment had lamented that the interest in the microscope had waned, famously stating of microscopy “either satisfied with the discoveries already made … or tired by its own exertions”, after Hill's book was published Adams went on to say “So important a subject soon revived the ardor for microscopic pursuits, which seems to have been increasing ever since”.
From Hill’s book, it was stated that Mr. Cummings had made two or three of his cutting engines, the design was then passed to Ramsden who made them commercially, one of which resides today in the collection of the Oxford Science Museum.
The Cumming's Pattern Cutting Engine proved difficult to use as keeping the curved blade sharp was a problem. It doesn't appear to have been a great commercial success with only a few instruments surviving today. However, the value of these sections that could be produced for microscopy was now realised and new microtomes were designed and produced by a number of scientific instrument makers. These instruments were easier to use and produced better results consigning the Cumming's Pattern Cutting Engine to history.
The design of the instrument offered here is particularly interesting and worth considering. Unlike the existing English instrument by Ramsden this instrument appears to be French in construction: the box is very typically continental with the inside lined with red chamois leather; the instrument has some typically French features with the double knurling of the brass adjusting wheels; the way the lignum handle is turned suggests there may well be Dutch influence.
As far as we are aware this is the first time a Cummings Cutting engine has ever been offered for sale at auction.
For a similar instrument see:
Sold for £8,060
Result including buyers premium
Possibly French, c.1770, unsigned, the body of the instrument is made of brass tube finished on the oustside with a black and mottled red fired enamel to simulate tortoiseshell, at the bottom is a lacquered brass end with a wheel engraved with a scale on a fine steel thread, as the wheel is turned the specimen is raised in front of the blade at the other end, the scale is marked against the brass stop next to the wheel, at the other end is the rotating elliptical blade, this is rotated by turning the polished lignum handle, two knurled wheel at the side are used to hold the blade in place and stop rotation, the other is used to hod the specimen push rod securely in the body of the instrument, the cutting engine comes in its original Fine red Moroccan leather-covered case lined to the inside with red chamois leather, in the case, there is the original shaped stone for sharpening the elliptical blade, a glass slide, a cut-glass bottle with a stopper and another similar but taller with a silver cap, the case 17.4cm wide
Footnotes:
The Cumming's Cutting Engine - The instrument that changed microscopy.
In 1770 a book was published by John Hill (b.1714 – d.1755) on the structure of wood as examined under the microscope. In this book ‘The Construction of Timber from its Early Growth, Explained by the Microscope’, Hill illustrated finely cut sections of wood which were only made possible due to the recent invention of cutting engine or microtome designed and built by Alexander Cumming (ca.1743 – d.1814). This instrument allowed thin sections to be cut so that light could pass through enabling, for the first time, microscopists to see the cell structure of plants. This simple step revolutionised the use of the microscope into a serious scientific instrument. It was George Adams,, then, maker of scientific instruments to King George III, who before this pivotal moment had lamented that the interest in the microscope had waned, famously stating of microscopy “either satisfied with the discoveries already made … or tired by its own exertions”, after Hill's book was published Adams went on to say “So important a subject soon revived the ardor for microscopic pursuits, which seems to have been increasing ever since”.
From Hill’s book, it was stated that Mr. Cummings had made two or three of his cutting engines, the design was then passed to Ramsden who made them commercially, one of which resides today in the collection of the Oxford Science Museum.
The Cumming's Pattern Cutting Engine proved difficult to use as keeping the curved blade sharp was a problem. It doesn't appear to have been a great commercial success with only a few instruments surviving today. However, the value of these sections that could be produced for microscopy was now realised and new microtomes were designed and produced by a number of scientific instrument makers. These instruments were easier to use and produced better results consigning the Cumming's Pattern Cutting Engine to history.
The design of the instrument offered here is particularly interesting and worth considering. Unlike the existing English instrument by Ramsden this instrument appears to be French in construction: the box is very typically continental with the inside lined with red chamois leather; the instrument has some typically French features with the double knurling of the brass adjusting wheels; the way the lignum handle is turned suggests there may well be Dutch influence.
As far as we are aware this is the first time a Cummings Cutting engine has ever been offered for sale at auction.
For a similar instrument see:
Auction: Fine Photographica & Instruments of Science, 19th Nov, 2021
