Murray & Heath

Region: United Kingdom    Period: 1850–1890    Occupation: Instrument maker   Tag: Wheatstone

Robert Murray worked in 1832 as an apprentice in the workshop of John Frederick Newman, at the time Newman was assisting Charles Wheatstone in the construction of his first stereoscope. Murray’s written statement from 1856 is an important source for dating the invention of the stereoscope to 1832.

In 1855, Murray formed an optical firm together with Vernon Heath. It quickly developed into a respected company producing high-quality instruments, including stereo cameras and stereoscopes. After Murray’s death in 1857, the company was sold by Heath to Charles Heisch in 1862. In 1869, the firm came into the hands of Murray’s son, Robert Charles Murray. The company retained the name Murray & Heath until 1882. The business focus shifted towards the production of microscopes.

Related items: Newman, John Frederick  Wheatstone, Charles

People:

Robert Murray
* 17 September 1798, Athy, Ireland   † 1857
Robert Vernon Heath
* 1819, Somerseth, England   † 25 October 1895

Company addresses:

Murray & Heath
43 Piccadilly, London
1855  –1866

Further reading:

  • Hannavy, John (editor). Encyclopedia of nineteenth-century photography (2008) , pp. 965-966
  • Stevenson, Brian. "Murray and Heath" in: Historical Makers of Microscopes and Microscope Slides. via: microscopist.net
  • Pellerin, Denis; May, Brian. Stereoscopy: The Dawn of 3-D (March 2017) , pp. 19, 21
Published: 04-04-2026