An Illustrated Catalogue of Microscopes and Accessories specially adapted for Physiological and Pathological Research
manufactured by
R. & J. Beck


The information here presented is not comprehensive but provides some useful references.

Beck, R. & J.
1865-1880 @ 31 Cornhill, London
1881-1944 @ 68 Cornhill, London
1926-1962 @ 69 Mortimer Street, London
In 1957 also at 71 Mortimer Street.
Became R. & J. Beck Ltd. in 1894.
Photograph of Showroom at 69 Mortimer Street in The Microscope July/August 1954 Vol. 10. No. 2.
Joseph Beck, F.R.M.S. at 31 Cornhill, E.C. in 1872, 1873, 1874 Quekett Members list.
Joseph Beck, F.R.A.S., F.R.M.S. at 31 Cornhill, E.C. in 1875, 1876, 1877 Quekett Members list.
Elected to QMC October 26th 1866.
Article in Science Gossip September 1866 - Poison Fangs of Spiders by Richard Beck.
Article in Science Gossip February 1872 - Test Scales by Joseph Beck.
Article in Quekett Journal Vol. 25 page 323 ‘Note on the Mechanical Construction of the Microscope’
In 1896 R. & J. Beck appears as a customer of Elizabeth Eleanor Dancer. It is not indicated what price was being paid by the company for micro-photographs but it was likely to be in the region of 7/6d per dozen, the retail value of which was 12/-.
In Journal of Royal Microscopical Society August 1890 Part 4 is an advertisement detailing the various medals achieved as follows:-
  • Council Medal, London, 1851
  • First Class Medal, Paris, 1855
  • Prize Medal, London, 1862
  • Gold Medal, Paris, 1867
  • Bronze Medal, Philadelphia, 1876
  • Gold Medal, International Exhibition, 1885
The company was represented at a Royal Microscopical Meeting 27th November 1889 exhibiting - Podura Scale with new 1/18 oil immersion. Amphipleura pellucida with new 1/20 oil immersion.
Originally a company called Smith and Beck. Then Smith, Beck & Beck and when James Smith retired (1894) R. & J. Beck (Richard Beck [1827-1866] and Joseph Beck [ 1829-1891]). Sole agents in the U.S.A. James W. Queen & Co. (Philadelphia). Eventually taken over by Griffin & George Ltd (1960).
Lister Works, their first manufactory, was established in 1853 at Holloway, London, the works being named after their uncle Joseph Jackson Lister F.R.S. (1786-1869) famous for many contributions to microscope design.
New premises were opened in 1941 (Greycaine Road, Watford) and 1962 (Watford) at which latter point all other addresses were closed.
Conrad Beck (27th January 1864-31st October 1944) C.B.E, F.R.M.S. apprenticed in 1879. [Author of The Microscope and also The Microscope- Theory and Practice.] Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society elected 1885. In 1924 address given as 68 Cornhill, E.C.3. Compounded his subscription according to 1924 list. Elected to Quekett Microscopical Club July 25th, 1884. In 1939 members list address - 68 Mortimer Street, W.1. Obituary in Series 4 Vol II No.1 pages 41-42 QMC Journal.
1881 Census
97 Albion Road, Stoke Newington, London, Middlesex, England
Joseph BECK, aged 57 born at Stamford Hill, Middlesex, England: Occupation - Manufacturer
Emma E. BECK, wife of the above, aged 57 born at Coggeshall, Essex, England
Emma J. BECK, daughter, aged 20, born at Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England: Occupation - Student
Elizabeth BECK, daughter aged 18 born at Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England: Occupation - Student
Conrad BECK, son, aged 17, norn at Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England: Occupation - Apprentice ((W))
Hannah BECK, daughter, aged 15, born at Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England: Occupation - Scholar
Alice BECK, daughter, aged 12 born at Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England: Occupation - Scholar
Horace BECK, son, aged 7 born at Stoke Newington, Middlesex, England: Occupation - Scholar
Sarah A. MCKEWNY, servant (cook), aged 29, born at Plymouth, Devon, England
Isabella SILK, servant (domestic), aged 24, born at Homerton, Middlesex, England

Science Gossip April 1876 Notes and Queries -
Following an entry in the Notes and Queries section of Science Gossip March 1876 as below
‘Teeth of a fly? - I shall be much obliged if some readers of Science Gossip can give me a little information on the anatomy of a fly. I have always thought the ordinary house-fly was a suctorial; and, as such, had no need of teeth; but to my surprise I saw in the case of a F.R.M.S. a slide with the following printed label on it:- "Teeth of a fly - Smith, Beck, & Smith (sic), Cornhill," &c. Of course such a highly respectable and well known firm as that would not have made a mistake; and, wishing to correct my error in supposing flies did not have teeth, I popped the slide under a microscope and compared it with the tongue of a blow-fly. I observed a most striking resemblence between the "teeth" and the spiral tubes at the end of the tongue; indeed it seemed as if a slice containing these tubes had been taken from a flys tongue, mounted seperately, and labelled "teeth"; and this opinion was shared by others who compred the two slides. Now as Smith and Beck have had labels printed for this slide, it is probable that they sell a good many of them; and, as they are so well known, they can hardly be guilty of defrauding their customers by palming off for 1s. 6d. a slice of a flys tongue and calling it a flys teeth. The conclusion I am obliged to come to therefore is, that flies have teeth: perhaps someone can inform me in what part they are to be found. - T. J. B.’
A reply appears in Science Gossip April 1876 as follows:-
‘Teeth of a fly. - If your correspondent "T.J.B." had either written to or called upon R. & J. Beck, from whom the slide "Teeth of a fly" was purchased, it would have saved both him and his friends from the mistake into which they have fallen by imagining that the sliced ends of the spiral tubes at the end of a flys tongue are sold as "the Teeth of a fly". At the base of these spiral tubes (as any elementary work on the anatomy of the fly will explain), there are several horny appendages with sharp, knife-like edges, which are no doubt well shown in the specimen to which he refers, and are known as the teeth. If "T.J.B." will carefully re-examine the slide he will see, and be no doubt able to convince his friends, that the purchaser of this object has neither been "defrauded" nor had "palmed off" upon him any preparation under a false pretence. It is a great pity that persons do not make rather more inquiry before committing themselves to print to expressions likely to subject them to legal proceedings. - R. & J. Beck.’

Nature. Vol. 32. July-October 1885

Present at the Royal Microscopical Society Scientific evening on April 3rd 1877 exhibiting - Pleurosigma formosum upon a black ground, with an achromatic eye-piece and patent achromatic condenser. Surirella gemma, with 1/10 immersion with central stop and patent condenser. New form of small microscope, with concentric rotating stage, &c. Large portable microscope, with apparatus and objectives complete.
In 1908,1909,1911,1914 C. Beck of 68 Cornhill, E.C. was a member of the Quekett Microscopical Club elected July 25th, 1884
1908 - Quekett Microscopical Club Member Horace C. Beck, F.R.M.S. of Lister Works, Dickenson Street, Kentish Town, N. W. elected June 19th, 1891.
Advertising in Nature as R. & J. Beck Ltd. November 8th 1906, November 22nd 1906, December 6th 1906, December 20th 1906, January 3rd 1907, January 17th 1907, January 31st 1907, February 14th 1907, February 28th 1907, March 14th 1907, March 28th 1907, April 11th 1907, April 25th 1907, May 19th 1910, June 2nd 1910, June 16th 1910, June 30th 1910 from 68 Cornhill, London.
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