This type of instrument is known as a "box microscope" for obvious reasons. It is a compound microscope with three lenses (eyepiece, field, objective) mounted on a supportive box-like base. The eyepiece and field lenses are mounted into the inner body tube. The objective is mounted to the lower, outer body tube. The outer body tube is covered with black fish skin, whereas the inner tube is covered with white parchment. The ocular and objective lenses are mounted in turned "Acajou" (any of a number of dark hardwoods, all called mahogany). The field lens is set at one end of the inner body tube and is fastened by a softwood mount (probably pine). This instrument has a friction focus, which makes fine focusing on the sample extremely difficult. There are four objectives with this microscope.

The front section of the wood box slides out to expose the mirror, which is used to reflect the light up through the hole in the top of the box. The angle of the mirror cannot be adjusted as it can in box microscope #127. There is one accessory drawer accessible from the front. It contains three additional objectives (one missing the lens), four glass slide preparations (two insect, two plant) and two wooden sample holders (minus samples). The "stage" is a simple brass holder for the wide, glass slides. It can be rotated in and out of the optical path. The only accessory is a specimen forceps mounted permanently on the top of the box.

The microscope is 40cm tall, on a mahogany base that measures 14(w) x 17(d) x 16cm (tall).

The back of the front section has an inscription on paper with the name "Guillaume Ménard" and the date "1739." Thus, this microscope appears to (at least) have been modified by Ménard, an instrument maker working in Paris beginning around 1660. Huygens in 1663 wrote: "Ménard understands his business thoroughly but he will have difficulty in discovering the correct proportion for ocular lenses by trial-and-error if M. Petit or his valet do not tell him something about them." Bonanni described Ménard as one of the best microscope makers of that era*. The fine imaging of this microscope attests to the skill of Ménard.

This specimen was microscope #32 of the former Nachet Collection.

*Daumas, M. 1989. Scientific Instruments of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries and their Makers. Portman Books. p74–75.