photoscope

From photo- +‎ -scope. Possibly originally a trademark in some cases.

photoscope (plural photoscopes)

1. Any of various instruments employed for the observation of light, luminous effects, or photographs.
2. Any of various devices to aid in vision.
   • 1889 July 13, “Another Wonder”, in The Deseret Weekly, volume 39, page 75:

     Herr Korzel, without the knowledge of the postal authorities, connected his photoscope to a telephone, and had the central office connect him with a business friend in Potsdam, who likewise was provided with a photoscope.

   • 1910 January, Charles H. Duncan, “A Further Report on the Use of the Photoscope for Demonstrating Operations to a Large Number of Visitors”, in The American Journal of Surgery, volume 24:

     On another occasion a physician who was present at a demonstration of the photoscope wrote the following concerning an appendicectomy performed by Dr. Marshall W. McDuffie : - " From the moment the anesthesia was begun until the patient was ready to be removed to the ward, every movement of the surgeon and his assistants was plainly visible.

   • 1911, “Illustrative Work in the Schools”, in The Utah Educational Review, volume 5, page 24:

     By means of this photoscope, which is so simple that a child can operate it, any picture of about post-card size is magnified and thrown upon the screen, the colors and other details being fairly well reflected.

   • 2000, Kenneth E. Smith, And Then There Were None - Volume 1, page 42:

     There cried Collin, and sure enough, there were live viruses just big enough to be seen with the image taken at the highest power the photoscope could go to of .001 microns.

• photoscopic

• “photoscope”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.