ROBERT HOOKE MICROSCOPE

An essential but imperfect implement that helped pioneer scientific observation England, 1675

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Alongside the great works of invention, philosophy, art and scientific understanding, the Enlightenment also saw advancements in our understanding of the natural world. Among those who made significant strides in this field was Robert Hooke, a physicist first and foremost, who made great progress with the use of microscopes.

Hooke had studied with Christoper Wren and Thomas Willis at Oxford University, where they had started using microscopes in their work. From 1663 he moved to London under the patronage of Robert Boyle and he began work on what would become his book examining creatures at high levels of magnification.