Magnified Wonders: An 18th-Century Microscope

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 present the cultural and historical context of this magnificent object and reveals its technical complexity in a display which includes its lavish tooled-leather case and specimen slides of natural curiosities.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website