Wilson Bentley Photomicrograph of Stellar Snowflake No. 332

Object Details

Date
1890
Circa 1890
Creator
Bentley, W. A (Wilson Alwyn) 1865-1931
Notes
SPI No. SPI_275
Bentley No. 332
Wilson A. Bentley first became fascinated with snow during his childhood on a Vermont farm, and he experimented for years with ways to view individual snowflakes in order to study their crystalline structure. He eventually attached a camera to his microscope, and in 1885 he successfully photographed the flakes. This photomicrograph and more than five thousand others supported the belief that no two snowflakes are alike, leading scientists to study his work and publish it in numerous scientific articles and magazines. In 1903 Bentley sent prints of his snowflakes to the Smithsonian, hoping they might be of interest to Secretary Samuel P. Langley.
Cite as
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 31, Image No. SIA2013-09132
Repository Loc.
Smithsonian Institution Archives Capital Gallery, Suite 3000, MRC 507; 600 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20024-2520
Topic
Photomicrography
Snowflakes
Data Source
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Local number
SIA RU000031 [SIA2013-09132]
Type
Black-and-white photographs
Restrictions & Rights
No access restrictions. Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu
No Copyright - United States
Physical description
Albumen prints; 3.5 x 3;
Record ID
siris_arc_308075