Gonin's Rife microscope

Microscope

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Gonin's Rife Microscope No. 5

Using a digital camera, I was able to take several pictures of the microscope which I am showing here, with permission of the Science Museum picture library.

In order to be able to show these pictures on this site, I have signed over the copyright of these pictures to the Science Museum. Please note that these pictures are copyrighted and may not be used anywhere else without prior permission of both myself and the picture library.

On the 21st December 1999, Peter Walker visited Blythe House (London, UK) where he was met by Mr. Neil Brown who is the Senior Curator, Classical Physics at the Science Museum. He led Peter through a maze of corridors and up two floors into a store room where the Rife microscope had been put on a trolley ready to be seen.

Mr. Brown stated that most people were disappointed when they saw the microscope as it is obviously not as sophisticated as the "Universal Microscope". "When I saw it, I could understand what he meant although it is very interesting all the same." This microscope was not functional despite several efforts in the past to get this microscope working (see Neil Brown's report for details).

The microscope's wooden case had already been removed when I saw the microscope. The torn sticker on the top gives some details of its route to the UK via New York to Southhampton on the Queen Mary.

The microscope looks a lot less complex than the "Universal" and I was told that it is incomplete. The engraving on the tube definitely confirms its origins as "Designed and Built by Royal R. Rife 1938".

The platform has a selection of different knobs and adjustments. The lens system channels the light to the sample tray that balances on the three pins around the lens.

A lot of discussion and speculation has been made about what kind of light source Rife used for his microscopes. This microscope uses a simple light bulb (above) so any such manipulation must have taken in the lens system above the lamp. On the right, you can see the stage

Mr. Neil Brown