LONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - A microscope Charles Darwin gave
his son Leonard and which has remained in the family for nearly
200 years is headed for auction in December, and is expected to
fetch up to $480,000.
The instrument was designed by Charles Gould for the firm
Cary around 1825 and is one of six surviving microscopes
associated with the British naturalist, according to auction
house Christie's.
The date of its manufacture coincides with the time when
Darwin was studying zoophytes, organisms such as coral and sea
anemone.
"It is just incredibly spine tingling to look through this
and see the microscopic world that Darwin would have seen in the
1820s and 30s," James Hyslop, Head of Department, Scientific
Instruments, Globes & Natural History, at Christie’s, told
Reuters.
"Later in his life in 1858, there's a wonderful letter that
he writes to his eldest son saying young Lenny was dissecting at
his microscope and he said 'Oh Papa, I should be so glad of this
for my whole life'. It's wonderful to have that family connexion
of Charles Darwin just before he becomes internationally
famous."
Darwin published his groundbreaking work "On the Origin of
Species" in 1859.
The microscope will be offered at Christie's Valuable Books
& Manuscripts auction on Dec. 15, and has a price estimate of
250,000 - 350,000 pounds ($343,050 - $480,270).
"Charles Darwin is one of the biggest names in the history
of science, and collectors for Darwiniana (relating to Darwin)
are truly international in breadth," Hyslop said.
($1 = 0.7288 pounds)
(Reporting by Marissa Davison; Writing by Marie-Louise
Gumuchian; Editing by Mike Collett-White)