Knapp Ophthalmoscope
The Knapp Ophthalmoscope is a rare and historically important antique eye examination instrument. It connects directly to the greatest names in 19th century ophthalmology. This example was manufactured by Miller Brothers, 1223 Broadway, New York, and originally retailed at $40.00 — a significant sum reflecting its quality and precision.(about $1600 in modern dollars)
Hermann Knapp
Hermann Knapp was born in Dauborn, Hessen-Nassau in 1832. He became a student of Helmholtz and an assistant of von Graefe — two of the founding giants of modern ophthalmology. Knapp moved to New York in 1868. He became Professor of Ophthalmology at the Medical College of the University of New York. He died in 1911.
First Presentation
Knapp developed this scope with two discs. He presented it at the meeting of the American Ophthalmological Society in Newport in July 1873. The presentation introduced a practical and well-considered instrument to the American ophthalmic community.
Design and Construction
The reflector is a concave mirror. Two discs sit behind the mirror. The upper disc has an empty opening and convex lenses: 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 20, 24, 33, and 48 diopters. The lower disc has an empty opening and the same series of concave lenses. In 1874 Knapp added +2 and -2 diopter lenses to the set. The lenses are protected from dust by a thin removable metal plate. The ivory handle gives the instrument an elegant and refined appearance entirely in keeping with the finest ophthalmic instruments of the 1870s.
Collectibility
The Knapp Ophthalmoscope is a prized piece for serious collectors of antique ophthalmoscopes. Its direct connection to Helmholtz, von Graefe, and the founding generation of American academic ophthalmology gives it exceptional historical significance. Browse our full ophthalmoscope collection.
