Famous scientific instrument maker Charles Chevalier constructed this student-model brass microscope in Paris around 1840. The model featured below was redrawn from photographs of the original microscope, which is part of the Billings microscope collection at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington DC.

The microscope body is supported by a 5-inch brass tubular limb containing a compass joint, which attaches to the brass pillar supported by a sturdy tripod base. A double planoconvex mirror is attached to the limb with a gimbal using a pin having a milled head. The fixed stage contains a 1/2-inch central opening with a pair of spring clips to secure the specimen. Also attached to the stage is a revolving disc of adjustable aperture diaphragms, and a compound condenser lies beneath. Focus is achieved with a rack and pinion mechanism that moves the body tube with respect to the stage. A single objective and compound ocular terminate each end of the microscope body tube.

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