“Shirely” Cantilever Microbalance

J. Casartelli & Son, Salford

An antique Shirley cantilever microbalance with a brass hinge on a wooden table inside a room with wood paneling and windows.

Made in England for Shirley Developments, Ltd. Serial #48

Designed to measure extremely small textile samples through optical cantilever deflection, the Shirley Cantilever Microbalance marks a technical turning point in post–war British textile research.

Built by J. Casartelli & Son, Salford for Shirley Developments Ltd., Manchester,
it enabled precision evaluation of fiber behavior at minute scales and allowed researchers to track changes that were otherwise invisible to the eye.

Excellent preserved condition, including its optical eyepiece, cantilever mechanism, and original hardwood housing.

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