Robert Boyle (1627–1691): scrupulosity and science

makers such as Fraunhofer, Amici, Selligue and Chevalier? Also, the figures of the plate from the 1787 Essays on the microscope were not drawn thanks to an Adams microscope, but are copies, probably made by a camera obscura, of original figures taken from the works of Trembley (1744, 1747), Baker (1753), Rosel von Rosenhof (1755), and others. This certainly does not affect the high quality of the book. Indeed, the impact of Millburn's work on historiography could go far beyond that of a well contextualized biography. More than his previous studies, this book marks a turning point in the standards necessary to produce a serious historical work on instrument makers. To counterbalance classical works on the technical and historical aspects of instruments, a larger scheme was needed capable of integrating historical research on political, civilian and professional connections implemented by instrument makers, along with their various strategies regarding advertising, corporations, management, trade, prestige, etc. The inclusion and integration of all these items and more within his pleasant narrative, and the use of rich and good iconographical resources, make Millbum's book a model for the genre.