Prepared microscope slides showing a microphotograph became popular in the 19th century shortly after the introduction of suitable fine grained emulsions. A microscope's objective was used to project a well lit subject image onto a slide prepared with an emulsion then developed and fixed.
A number of makers under their own name or relabeled by dealers offered commercial slides. A notable maker and seller using his own distinctive labels was John B. Dancer (1812 - 1887). The definitive resource on his slides is 'The Microscopic Photographs of J. B. Dancer' by the late Brian Bracegirdle (pub. Science Heritage Ltd., 1993). I incorrectly thought that the image was projected down through the eyepiece and through the objective but Bracegirdle notes and illustrates (pages 17ff) that the typical technique was to use a microscope objective in place of a condenser and image projected from below it on a horizontal photomicrography setup.
Examples come up regularly e.g. on eBay and depending on the perceived rarity of the maker/subject, prices can range from single figures to three figures.
Scott Jolland, an owner of two such slides was recently in contact with Micscape asking about their likely provenance and possible value with a view to sell. Scott kindly sent them to me to take images to offer on eBay. My own knowledge of such slides is very limited so sought the opinion of Brian Stevenson who has a leading Web resource on 19th century prepared microscope slides and their makers at microscopist.net. Scott's notes on their provenance in his family are as follows:
"... the only thing I was told about how my grandad acquired the microphotographs [passed down to Scott from his father] was that he was hired to clear out a very wealthy person's attic and received the photos along with a stamp book, and other things like books as part payment for doing the job. It was a deal that was arranged by the house owner and my grandad due to my grandad's interest them."
The two slides were presented in an old box, branded underneath 'Garrard' with side panel printed labels 'M.P.M.5 Moulding'. 'Stereo'.
An online search revealed it was a model of headshell for a record player arm by the well known turntable maker.
Images below taken with a Zeiss 2.5X planachro' with 1.6X Optovar and 10X eyepiece. Slides were cleaned so spots remaining are on the slide.
Left - 'Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire'. Right - 'The Chefs Players' [sic].
General and specific notes on the slides from own observations and those kindly offered by Brian Stevenson from images emailed.
Both do not have maker's labels but handwritten using the same label and writing style.
Both are ringed. Inspecting the variety of commercial slides offered, this is unusual.
The lack of maker's label and ringing may suggest the original commercial labels were lost and redone by a later owner who may also have added the ringing at same time.
'Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire' Image measures 1.44 x 1.16 mm.
This is a well known subject offered by Dancer, no. 16 in his numbered labels series (page 92 in Bracegirdle's book who illustrates the original negative loaned by A.L.E.Barron and provides background on the abbey's history).
'The Chess Players' Image measures 1.64 x 1.08 mm.
Both Scott and I incorrectly read the label as 'The Club Players' but Brian pointed out that the old 'fs' form of 'ss' was used. Scott sourced its origin and is a painting of the chess masters Howard Staunton playing Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant in 1843. The original painting is by Jean-Henri Marlet and shown on the French Wikipedia page for this painter. An annotated version naming the likely onlookers is also presented on
the www.chesshistory.com website entry for the French player compiled by Ed Winter.
From Bracegirdle's comprehensive listing of the 512 slides known by Dancer this subject was not documented. My own online searches provided no leads. However, Brian has an example of this subject made by the maker John C. Stovin (1814 - 1896) in his 'A Photographic Curiosity for the Microscope' series (image below and see Brian's comprehensive Web page on Stovin, use name index on left of front page on microscopist.net). It is possible that this slide was made by Stovin and maker's label lost.
The same subject made by John Stovin ('J S' signature on label lower corners).
Image of slide owned and taken by Brian Stevenson. Shared with permission and not to be further used without his permission.
It is unclear given the Fountains Abbey slide has the same labelling if Stovin also made this or is a relabelled Dancer slide (or another commercial / amateur maker). Brian notes from his extensive collecting experience that it is difficult to judge an original microphotograph quality after so much time. Images can decay, bleach in sunshine and possibly be mistreated over the years.
It may be valuable to build up a resource of other unlabelled and possibly ringed slides of microphotographs. We would be interested to learn of them and share on Micscape if wished. Unique examples could also be made available on microscopist.net.
Brian Stevenson notes that: "The microscopist.net site maintains pages that show all known examples of many 19th century microphotographers (currently there are pages for 24 different microphotograph makers/sellers). Illustrated essays about additional microphotograph-makers are added frequently. If you have further examples of microphotograph slides, please share images. Contact brian.stevenson AT uky DOT edu."
Micscape has very few resources in general on microphotograph slides. We would be pleased to share reader's examples and especially if the subject was of a particular interest and which prompted the purchase, as it was for the Dancer 'The Arctic Council' slide which I purchased (see Micscape resources below).
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Scott Jolland for making contact, sending the slides and sharing their provenance in his family which prompted an interesting project to learn more.
Thank you to Brian Stevenson for his generosity in sharing his knowledge on a likely maker of at least one of the slides. Also for permission to share his 'The Principal Chess Players of England' example by Stovin.
Micscape resources
Microscopy and the search for the North West Passage, when two interests meet Micscape March 2023. My single example of a Dancer slide at present is 'The Arctic Council' purchased because of my interest in the history of the search for the North West Passage.
How small can you write? - an early Micscape article illustrating the reduction in micro-writing techniques from the photographic down to the atomic level.
A message brought to Paris by Pigeon Post in 1870-71 - An article in the Micscape October 2010 issue by Ashley Lawrence describing the use of microphotography to prepare microfilm messages to be sent by carrier pigeon.
Comments to the author David Walker are welcomed.