Cabinet of 48 prepared diatom slides · c. 1910
Forty-eight diatom slides in a fitted mahogany cabinet. Hand-lettered species labels, one drawer of arranged mounts.
- SKU
- MS-SC-1003
- Era
- 1900-1950
- Condition
- All slides intact, labels foxed but legible; two slides show minor mount separation
- Dimensions
- Cabinet 10" × 7" × 4"
- Weight
- 3 lbs 8 oz
- Provenance
- From a natural history library dispersal, Edinburgh, 2020
- Category
- Scientific Instruments
- Tags
- slidesdiatomsmicroscopypreparedcabinet
A collector's cabinet of forty-eight prepared diatom slides in a fitted three-drawer mahogany case, English, circa 1910. The mounter is unsigned — likely an amateur naturalist rather than a commercial house like Norman or Firth — but the workmanship is exacting. Species include Arachnoidiscus ehrenbergii, Triceratium favus, and a striking arrangement of Actinoptychus splendens on the eleventh slide.
All cover slips are seated and only two mounts show the faint edge-crazing that eventually claims all Canada balsam preparations. Under a decent 4mm objective the detail is startling.
The labels are hand-lettered in brown ink on cream paper, foxed at the edges but wholly legible.
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