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Nom
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Dellabarre Louis François
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Date de naissance
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16 August 1726
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Date de mort
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16 March 1805
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Lieu de naissance
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The Hague
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Lieu de mort
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Paris
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Couverture temporelle
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2/2 18th century
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Biographie
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An optician, in the late 1750s he devised a new form of compound microscope. An early model was seen by Lalande during his travels in the Low Countries in 1762. Dellabarre sold one of the first large models of his microscope to Wilhelm V Stadtholder of Holland in 1770. The same year he settled in the Hague (1). The following year Dellebarre's new microscope was announced in the press and its fabrication began.At the Leyden Academy, Dellebarre had tought. some parts of mathematics, astronomical geography, philosophy, Latin and French. In 1776 he settled in Paris where presented his microscope to the Académie Royale des Sciences the following year (2). Dellebarre published a detailed description of the instrument in the same year (see below), the effect of the instrument being dependent upon its complex system of 6 or even 7 lenses which incorporated a compound eye-piece usually of four biconvex lenses. Unusually among instrument-makers (and particularly among optical instrument-makers) he dated several of his instruments, examples being known from 1778 to 1806 (3). Two microscopes by Dellabarre were carried on Lapérouse's expedition, and Dellebarre made regular improvements to the instrument, doubling its field of view over the years and incorporating a Lieberkuhn lens (4). 'Ruined by the revolution', n 1792 he received a 10000 livres 'recompence nationale', and rapidly became a member of the Société des Inv entions et Découvertes (5). That at his advanced age the rampant inflation of the period affected him more seriously than younger makers is probable, but he did not improve his situation by precipitously closing his workshop in 1794 solely on the proposition of Chaptal to establish an optical workshop in the new Ecole des Arts et Métiers at Compiegne and appoint Dellebarre its director. In the event this workshop was found to be too expensive at 6000 livres for Dellebarre and two workmen. Nothing was done and Dellebarre found himself without any other resource than a pension of 50 écus a week furnished by Chaptal. Petitions by him, and a letter in his favour by Monge survive, and a number of small sums werer advanced to him. Nonetheless on his death he left only debts of 274 francs which outweighed his estate. His two sons, Joseph-Philippe and Antoine-Pierre therefore refused their inheritance (6). A microscope by Dellebarre was used for experiments by Vincent Chevalier in 1825, the year in which he was investigating achromaticism.7
Instruments known:
1771 'Fait à La Haye le 18 mai' (CNAM), 1783 (Christie's 28.9.89 lot 278),1785 (Nachet no 76), 1785 (Whipple); 1786 (Randier 2.95), 1786 (Randier 1.96 not the same instrument as the previous), 1788 (Sotheby's 3.10.88 lot 109), 1789 (Nachet no 68), 1792 Musæum d'Hist Naturelle having belonged to Lamarck (Daumas 329), 1793 (Boisgirard 16.3.64 lot 107), 1793 (illustrated Clay & Court 206), 1798 signed by Canzius from Delft (Museum Boerhaave, Leyd 5en), 1799, signed by Canzius (Bonhams 19. 4. 2011 lot 183); 1801 (Perret 2 no 82), 1806 (Randier I.96). The last example which is signed from Delft is presumably a posthumous recycling of an older instrument perhaps, like that illustrated in Clay & Court 206, by Dellebarre's Delft manufacturer Onderwijngaart Canzius (1771-1838). At Delft Dellebarre also had instruments made by Pieter Baijens, 1774-1846 (Museum Boerhaave, Leyden). For a detailed description of an unsigned Dellebarre-type instrument in the collection of the Royal Microscopical Society see Disney, Hill & Baker 205-7 and Turner (G) 202-3 no 208.
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Notes biographiques
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1 De Clercq (Court) 123.
2 CDD 35; Mémoires 1777.
3 All his known instruments are compound microscopes of his own pattern.
4 Daumas 215.
5 Arch CNAM cited from Daumas 329. CDD 35.
6 See AN F12 2435 I. 16 which is completed by Arch CNAM P.65. The latter dossier includes a detailed 16 page, description of his microscope.
7 Nachet 76.
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Bibliographie
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Mémoire sur les différences de la construction et des effets du microscope de M. L.F. Dellebarre, avec tous ceux qu'on a faits précédement..., The Hague, 1777.
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Adresse ; enseigne ; période ; source
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The Hague
r St Jacques Paris
47, rue St Germain d'Auxerrrois (1793).
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Identifiant
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1486
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ark:/18469/1rf5f