Compound Microscope and accessories, about 1751, Michel-Ferdinand d’Albert d’Ailly and Jacques Caffieri. Getty Museum.
Magnified Wonders: An 18th-Century Microscope
Sep
10
2024
Sep
18
2024
Feb
2
2025

The spectacular French microscope from Getty’s collection is a unique testament to scientific advances and Rococo design in the Age of Enlightenment. It allowed science enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the recently discovered world of the microscopically small. New study and conservation reveal the cultural and historical context of this magnificent object and its technical complexity in a display that includes its lavish tooled-leather case and specimen slides of natural curiosities.

Compound Microscope and accessories, about 1751, Michel-Ferdinand d’Albert d’Ailly and Jacques Caffieri. Getty Museum.

Free with reservation

Getty Center

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