Microscopium – The Microscopists’ Fair
Saturday 2nd August 2025
Microscopium is the annual sales event of the Quekett Microscopical Club. Our hosts for the 2025 Microscopium were again The Settlement in Letchworth. There was a good turnout of sellers and buyers, and again it was a case of early birds catching the worms. Sellers arrived around 9:00 a.m. and buyers arrived soon after, even though the event had been publicised to start at 10:00 a.m. There was a wide variety of items on sale ranging from complete microscope outfits with high-spec optics and imaging to boxes of miscellaneous microscopical goods of all sorts. Many of these are redundant or cast-offs from a previous user but become ‘go-to’ items for someone who is searching for a particular objective, condenser, illuminator, wave plate or other treasure.
The Club books two rooms and these are sufficient for our needs. Soon after the start there were upwards of fifty visitors and they kept coming around the stalls, even though several buyers had to make more than one circuit before committing to an item of choice.
Phil Haith explains the finer points of a superb Olympus stereo microscope to Steve Durr and David Smith. A Leitz Ortholux I waits nearby.
Richard Courtier had two tables of slides, cabinets and objectives and ephemera of the ‘brass and glass’ era, all of which generated a great deal of interest.
Mark Shephard and Chris Kennedy look at antique items at George & Richard Courtier’s table
Dave Skeet and James Rider ponder a find
Tea, coffee and biscuits were available through the day: these provided welcome opportunities for gossip, discussion and catching up on the latest acquisitions.
Thanks to Mark Shephard and Lisa Ashby for organising another successful day. Report and photographs Peter Wyn-Jones