MICSCAPE - Exploring the miniature world

Issue 313 : April 2022 (ISSN 1365 - 070x)      Monthly, next issue May 13th 2022.


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Powdery mildew on an African violet.
Image by Jennie Lawrence.

 

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Micscape Contacts
Micscape Editor:
David Walker
Email: micscape AT ntlworld DOT com

Please do not contact the above for image permissions. Each article contributor retains the copyright to their material so should be contacted directly via the link in the relevant article. Thank you.

Comments on Micscape and contributions welcomed.
Contributions: Any modern format welcomed i.e. pdf. doc/docx with embedded images, or html + jpegs.

Powdery mildew…What’s a girl to do? - Jennie Lawrence (USA) describes and illustrates the appeal of African violets and an infection which they are prone to. PDF

My family and other organisms (with apologies to Gerald Durrell) - Richard L. Howey (USA) shares his childhood experiences and how his interests in the macro and microscopic world around him developed.

The fly - Christian Autotte (Canada) describes and illustrates the macro and microscopic potential of an often overlooked subject. PDF

Galleries of old image reprocessed. Part 2 - Richard L. Howey (USA) shares a gallery of images of a variety of subjects.

Where are you? - Christian Autotte (Canada) encourages readers to contribute to Micscape. PDF

Revisiting the Cooke, Troughton and Simms M2000 phase contrast microscope - David and Ian Walker (UK) describe a recently acquired outfit and discuss the appeal of this make and model.

Micscape Lite, contributors sharing their other interests.

Absinthe - myth or magic? - David Walker (UK) presents its believed active ingredient in molecular models and its social aspects in philately. Recent research reveals the more likely reason for its potency.

New hosted resources:

The Amateur Diatomist archive
This magazine resource ably created and administered by Steve Gill has now been ported to the Microscopy-UK site with Steve's permission as the former host server is now not available.
As well as all the issues in pdf format there are a wealth of other resources in the Downloads section including by noted workers such as Barber and the complete 532 page book 'An Introduction to the Microscopical Study of Diatoms' by Robert B. McLaughlin.

Diatoms of the Arid South West Originally hosted on the website of New Mexico State University, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Services. Archived with permission from Dave Richman, resource editor, and C. Scott Bundy of the NMSU.

From the archives, below is the April 2012 issue.

What price optics? - [editor Apr. '22, the now sadly late] Frithjof Sterrenburg (Netherlands) compares the performance of four objectives using the same diatom subject and which have varying degrees of correction and span a century in date range.

William Joseph Norman revealed - [editor Apr. '22, the now sadly late] Peter Paisley (Australia) discusses and illustrates examples of Norman and his family's slide making and provides evidence for attributing certain unnamed slides to them. (In doc format.)

My first microscope (a little nostalgia for the old folks) - Michael Much (USA) shares his experiences of using a Tasco 1200XK toy microscope in 1962 which helped spark his interest in microscopy. (In Acrobat pdf format.)

Horse fly head - Anthony Thomas (Canada) shares an illustrated article exploring this insect on the macro and micro scale. (In Acrobat pdf format.)

A close-up view of a second lupine hybrid - Brian Johnston (Canada) illustrates the macro and micro features of this plant.

Henry Edward Ebbage 1862 - 1949 - Brian Stevenson (USA) shares an illustrated essay on the life and work of this pharmaceutical chemist who also prepared and sold microscope slide subjects. (In Acrobat pdf format.)

New old slides: Part 1 - Richard Howey (USA) shares some examples of old prepared slides which he has acquired with notes on the trials of buying off eBay.

Micro "pops" versus Astro "pops". So are there more amateur Microscopists than amateur Astronomers? - Paul James (UK) shares an essay on this topic and discusses his own relative interest in the two hobbies.



    We are delighted to receive contributions small or large from microscopy enthusiasts whether a novice or expert. If you have an image, tip or article, why not share it, this magazine is what you make it!

     

Archive
Look for that elusive article on our site:
Micscape Magazine past issues online
(read articles online using the original illustrated index for each month).
Article Library (browse articles by category)
Automated Search (a search engine for keyword searches in all articles)
Contributor index (a list of all Micscape contributors to date)
News - special notices - misc.


External links. Updated April 2020. Below are some of our favourites, which includes sites with extensive links and/or resources for the optical microscopy enthusiast.

External Microscopy forums: Places to discuss the hobby or to raise queries.
www.photomacrography.net
forums, galleries, articles on macroscopy and photomicrography.

groups.io (formerly Yahoo groups):
Amateur Microscopy
Diatom Forum
Microscopy as a hobby or profession
Wild Microscopes

Facebook groups:
Amateur Microscopy (>21000 members, very active). Also specialist groups e.g. for users of given maker's microscopes (e.g. Zeiss, Olympus, Wild, Vickers). Also try a Facebook Group search with keywords like microscope or microscopy to find these.

Other:
Microbe hunter the website ably run by Oliver Kim has built up a popular and valuable forum with help for both the beginner and more advanced user.

Listservers:
Algae-L
'Forum for marine, freshwater and terrestrial algae'. Access to Archives possible for non-subscribers.
Diatom-L 'Research on the diatom algae.' Access to Archives for subscribers only. Link was current March 2016. Many online diatom resources point to an outdated Indiana Univ. listserver. (With thanks to Rob Kimmich for the current link.)

Mikroskopie-Treff.de (Extensive German microscopy forum; some English categories.)
Mikrobiologische Vereinigung München e. V. Wide range of articles and resources in German.
Le Naturaliste French based forum and image gallery for micro / macro but open to non French speaking international contributors.

The Amateur Diatomist archive This magazine resource ably created and administered by Steve Gill has now been ported to the Microscopy-UK site with Steve's permission as the former host server is now not available.
As well as all the issues in pdf format there are a wealth of other resources in the Downloads section including by noted workers such as Barber and the complete 532 page book 'An Introduction to the Microscopical Study of Diatoms' by Robert B. McLaughlin.

Diatoms of the Arid South West Originally hosted on the website of New Mexico State University, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Services. Archived with permission from Dave Richman, resource editor, and C. Scott Bundy of the NMSU.

Other sites (also see Societies and Clubs page.)
Royal Microscopy Society Journal, 'infocus' and other resources for members and the community.
Quekett Microscopical Club Journal, Bulletin and meetings for members.
Light Microscopy Forum links and articles
Little Imp Publications public domain books collated by Steve Gill formerly on CD and now free on Micscape.
Mikroskop Museum German website with resources on microscopes / makers .
Molecular Expressions awesome optical microscopy resources
Dennis Kunkel's SEM images stunning images
Diatoms Ireland - resource site by Leszek Wolnik
Leitz museum an illustrated resource compiled by Robert Allen
Microbe hunter microscopy enthusiast website, forum and magazine edited by Oliver Kim
Microscopies online magazine and Forum for French speakers
Micrographia articles, projects for the enthusiast
Microscopy Today
journal with online archive
Modern Microscopy
online journal by McCrone Group
Fun Science Gallery projects, articles on optics in English and Italian.
Independent Generation of Research (IGoR) - Wiki style resource for citizen scientists to share their work.
Lens On Leeuwenhoek - extensive resource online by Douglas Anderson
Collected Letters of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek ('Alle de Brieven ..') transcribed and free online at DBNL.
A Cabinet of Curiosities a resource on Victorian microscope slides by Howard Lynk
Klaus Kemp's 'Diatoms' website - offers regional strews and arranged prepared slides of diatoms, an 8 form test slide, radiolaria, insect scales etc and prepares arranged slides on commission.
'Diatoms Ireland' resource by Leszek Wolnik
Historical makers of microscopes and microscope slides Brian Stevenson's extensive resource .
Victorian slide makers
Cambridge rocking microtome resources including manual
www.willemsmicroscope.com Dutch enthusiast Willem Cramer's website
David Jackson's Better Microscopy blog. Regularly updated free resources extending from his 'Better Microscopy' series of books.
Stefano Barone's Diatom Shop
sale of his own prepared and arranged slides of diatoms, radiolaria, forams and scales.
www.testslides.com website devoted to Stefano Barone's Diatom Lab test slides.
Darwin Biological a UK company for 'biological education' supplies. Including live cultures of protozoa and algae.
Microscopie van de Natuur Dutch microscopy resource site by Rolf Vossen.
 

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parent site coordinator:
Maurice Smith


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Micscape is a free magazine for enthusiasts funded by Microscopy-UK and dedicated to non-commercial microscopy.
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