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Period: 1268 to 1289
Eye Glasses
believed to be invented between 1268 and 1289, in Italy. They were originally worn by monks and scholars and were held in front of your eyes or balanced on the nose. -
1500
Flea Glasses
This first prototype of today’s compound microscope came in the form known as “flea glasses.” They allowed for examination of small creatures such as the flea and were more of an entertainment device than a scientific instrument. -
Compound Microscope
Dutch spectacle makers Zaccaria and Hans Janssen lined up two lenses in a tube to create the first true compound microscope. This type of microscope works by bending light rays from one lens to another, enlarging an object multiple times. -
Single Lens Microscope
Anton van Leeuwenhoek's invention used an extreme curvature of one lens to magnify specimens almost 280 times. He is known today for his contributions to science through the study of blood flow, microscopic organisms, and yeast.
Robert Hooke published a book called Micrographia which contained detailed drawings of specimens and observations that brought about a new respect for the use of microscopes in medicine.
