202 Tue Microscope. 
MEMOIR OF ROBERT B. TOLLES. 
BY DR. GEO. E. BLACKHAM. 
{)® GEORGE E. BLACKHAM was the next speaker. His 
subject was “ Memoir of Robert B. Tolles.” “ He was a man 
of very retiring disposition, making the obtaining of facts for 
the memoir exceedingly difficult. A sister of the deceased, now 
living in Chicago, had been found to be the principal source of 
information concerning the life of Mr. Tolles. It was a touching 
narrative of genius struggling with poverty and ill health and 
ultimate success. He was born at Winchester, Litchfield 
county, Connecticut, and was the second of five children. His 
early days were spent on the farm and his early education was 
very much neglected. At the age of 18 he suffered from a very 
severe attack of pleurisy, from which he never recovered. His 
father was an inventor who died in Cincinnati in 1&48. His 
mother died in 1841, soon after which he walked to the house of 
an uncle living near Rochester. On the way home he stopped 
at Canastota and became an apprentice to Mr. Spencer. In 
1858 he established a place for himself ina loft. In 1867 he be- 
came superintendent of the Boston Optical Works, and later 
the whole management of the works was placed in his hands. 
In 1873 he made a step which placed him at the head of his pro- 
fession by inventing a three system lens. He invented many 
other improvements which did more for microscopy than the 
inventions of any other man at the time. He was tall, thin and 
slight, with a long full beard and brown hair. He was pain- 
fully shy and reserved. His life was a long struggle with pov- 
erty and disease, but he had an indomitable will that kept him 
in the workshop, where he was content to remain so long as he 
could do good work. During his last illness he had a micro- 
scope brought to his death-bed, where he made examinations of 
lenses. He could get rest only by sitting in a chair, for many 
years. He died November 17, 1883, at Boston, where he had 
worn himself out with work and devotion to his business. His 
funeral was largely attended by scientific friends and his body 
lies in the beautiful Mt. Auburn cemetery. His brother-in-law 
will erect a monument, but the most enduring monument to 
his genius are the splendid lenses he has left as the result of his 
