To isolated dwellers in such a community, possessed of higher tastes and feelings, our Society may be made a priceless boon

June 21, 2009 4:24 PM

"The design of the Society is specially to afford, to dwellers in remote parts of the country, by means of postal facilities, the advantages derivable from interchange of thought on such subjects of common interest as may be elucidated by the microscope." from the Journal of the Postal Microscopical Society c. 1882. It might interest you to know that the Postal Microscopical Society is still in existence and that there are other microscopical societies around the world. Now you can look at slides from the Victorian Era or present day without waiting for the mailman. [previously]
posted by jessamyn (5 comments total)

There's a New York Microscopical Society as well. It is located in New Jersey.
posted by snofoam at 5:00 PM on June 21, 2009

Those rotifers and vorticellae pictures are amazing. Thanks for the post, it made me remember why I loved biology. ( I took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up doing dry stuff like pcrs and gels).
posted by francesca too at 5:32 PM on June 21, 2009

I've never heard of this society before. The Victorian slides are gorgeous. Thank you for the interesting post jessamyn.
posted by tellurian at 5:46 PM on June 21, 2009

Wonderful post. I love the Miniature Photograph Slides from "the Victorian Era" link.
posted by YoBananaBoy at 7:05 PM on June 21, 2009

Nice images--I love vintage science. Reminds me of Wilson Bentley, the Snowflake Man.

Also: In Czarist Russia, diatom look through macroscope at you.
posted by not_on_display at 8:10 AM on June 22, 2009