The Gillett Illuminator/Condenser is the false pupil, so to speak, of a Light Microscope designed by William S. Gillett in the mid 1800s. Its purpose is to direct a specific amount of light through a lens in order to allow a clearer and more detailed look at the desired objective—i.e. microorganisms.
Gillet was drawn to the idea of a more focused beam through the observation of light in nature. His original design called for a revolving diaphragm, but due to technical difficulties, the revolving diaphragm was replaced. However, Gillet’s design survived due to the intervention of a young English Optician named Andrew Ross.
Ross was an English contemporary of Gillet’s. He took the original design and improved upon it by introducing the Achromatic Condenser. This new condenser follows Gillet’s original designed with the added bonus of allowing the needed light to pass through the lenses without the beams separating into unneeded colors (like light through a prism).
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Ross collaborated with J.J. Lister to create Ross and Co., a trading company that specialized in the designing and selling of Light Microscopes until 1911. Ross’s design follows a bar-limp form with two objectives, the Achromatic condenser, a Y-shaped foot, and heavy supports.
Today, Ross’s original microscopes can be found in museums across Europe.
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