Dan Kile’s masterful monograph on the petrographic microscope, subtitled “Evolution of a Mineralogical Research Instrument,” was published as the very first supplement to the Mineralogical Record, accompanying the November-December 2003 issue. It is illustrated with dozens of color photographs of beautiful antique instruments and accessories. (NOTE: An addendum was published in vol. 44, no. 3, p. 303-322 of the Mineralogical Record.)

The contents are as follows:

I. Introduction
II. Characteristics of the petrographic microscope
III. Properties observable with the petrographic microscope:
—–Plane-polarized light;
—–Cross polarized light/orthoscopic
—–Cross polarized light/conoscopic
IV. Historical development of the petrographic microscope
—–Evolution through the early 1900s
—–Mechanical development of the petrographic microscope
—–Development of reflected light techniques
V. Manufacturers of petrographic microscopes
VI. Accessories for the petrographic microscope
—–Common petrographic accessories
—–Rotational devices
———-One-axis or two-axis devices
———-Universal stage
———-Spindle stage; Miers goniometer
—–Integrating stages
—–Rotating compensators:
—–Michel-Levy comparator
—–Auxiliary devices for interference figures and optic angle
—–Wright eyepiece
—–Accessories for ore/reflected light microscopy
———-Visual microphotometer: Berek; Hallimond
———-Elliptical analyzer
———-Straumanis rotating stage
———-Leitz two-axis universal stage, UTR-2
—–Microspectroscope
—–Microscope slides
VII. Evaluation and restoration
VIII. Conclusions and epilogue
IX. Acknowledgements
X. References