The historical microscope collection housed in the Moody Medical Library is considered one of the major collections of its type owned by an academic institution in the United States. The collection consists of representative samples documenting the develo pment of microscopy from the 18th through the first quarter of the 20th century. The work of more than 30 individual makers or firms is included.

The microscope collection dates from 1967, when the Library acquired 33 microscopes from Dr. John Bunyan (1907-1983) with a grant from the Moody Foundation of Galveston. A past president of the Royal Microscopical Society in London, and a collector, Dr. Bunyan provided additional instruments as well as partial cataloging for the collection in subsequent years. Of the 82 instruments, 60 percent are associated with him. The remaining consists of microscopes from the Departments of Anatomy and Pathology, gifts from former faculty and friends of the University, and a purchase of replica microscopes.

For additional information, see the online exhibit, Historical Microscopes.

The antique microscopes comprise a part of the Truman G. Blocker, Jr. History of Medicine Collections. The collection has been photographed, and slides of individual microscopes are available for a modest fee. For further information, please contact:

The Blocker History of Medicine Collections
The Moody Medical Library
The University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, TX 77555-1035
Phone: (409) 772-2397; FAX: (409) 765-9852
E-mail: ref@utmb.edu