Photographing microscopic preparations in the 19th century:...

Photographing microscopic preparations in the 19th century: techniques and

instrumentation

Maria Estela Jardima , Isabel Marília Peresb

a CFCUL, CCMM, FCUL ; b CCMM, DQB, FCUL

[email protected]

PTDC/HIS-HCT/102497/2008SIC, Brasil 2012

XXXI SIC Symposium, Rio de Janeiro8-14 October 2012

PTDC/HIS-HCT/102497/2008XXXI Symposium SIC, Brasil 8-14 october 2012

Maria Estela Jardim

SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY:STUDY OF INSTRUMENTATION AND CHEMICAL-

PHYSICAL PROCESSES DURING THE PERIOD19TH- EARLY 20TH CENTURIES

RESEARCH PROJECT: PTDC/HIS-HCT/102497/2008

financed by


Maria Estela Jardim

Topics• The Pioneers

(1839- 1860)• 1860-1870• 1870-1890• 1890-early 20th

century

Sources• Books on

photomicrography• Instrument catalogs• Medical Atlas• Photographic journals• Microscopic journals


Maria Estela Jardim

Scientific Photomicrography

Microscopic Techniques

Artificial Illumination

systems:

LimelightMagnesium lightElectric lightKohler illumination

Achromaticcondenser, AbbeObjective Immersion lenses, ZeissEosin-collodionfiltersApochromaticobjectives

Photographic Techniques

CalotypeDaguerreotype

Wet/Dry CollodionAlbumen

Gelatin silver bromide

OrthochromatismPanchromatism


Maria Estela Jardim

Paper negative of a photomicrograph (calotype), insect wings, as seen in a solar microscope (FOX TALBOT, ca. 1840)

(Science & Society Picture library)

Solar Microscope(Ganot, Physics ,1883)

Fox Talbot ( 1800-1877)

In a letter ( 10th May 1853), to Samuel Highley, editor of QJMS ,Talbot writes:“ I succeeded in my attempts [ microscopic photographs ], chiefly in consequence of a careful arrangement of the solar microscope, by which I was enabled to obtain a very luminous image and to maintain it steadily on the paper during five or ten minutes “

( the process was photogenic drawing)

PTDC/HIS-HCT/102497/2008XXXI Symposium SIC, Brasil 8-14 october 2012Maria Estela Jardim

Alfred Donné (1801-1878)

• Teaches a course on microscopy at the Hopital de la Charitéand obtains in 1839 microdaguerreotypes of human fluids

• 1844 – Publishes the first medical book with micrographies“Cours de microscopie complémentaire des études médicales;anatomie microscopique et physiologie des fluides de l’ économie ”

• 1845 – With Léon Foucault (1819-1868) publishes an Atlas withengravings by Oudet of his photomicrographies “ Atlas du Coursde microscopie exécutée d’après nature, au microscope-daguerréotype”

Maria Estela Jardim

Photomicrographs:

1. Ammonia magnesium phosphate

2. Other forms of Ammonia magnesium phosphate

3. White filaments of urine 4. Blood cells in urine

ALFRED DONNÉ & LÉON FOUCAULT, 1845(Cours de microscopie, Atlas, 1845)

3 4

1 2

Daguerreotype: «Cristaux de la salive» Léon Foucault, 1844

Source: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliotèque Nationale de France.


Maria Estela Jardim

Société d’Encouragement pour l’industrie nationale,1845, n.9Built by Chevalier

Beaker with acidWith Pt blades to control the current

MicroscopeAchromatic lenses

Microsc. preparation

Solution of alum

Carbon rods

Parabolic mirror


Maria Estela Jardim

Positives from collodion negatives

JOSEPH DELVES, 1852(Quaterly J. M.S, Plate VII)

1. Spiracle and Trachea of the Silkworm, magnified 60 diameters, exhibiting the elastic spiral fiber between the layers of the air vessels.

2. Proboscis of the Fly, magnified180 diameters, showing thedivided absorbent tubes.

1

2

1-Discovery of wet collodion by ScottArcher and Gustave Le Gray in 1851.

2-Improvement on the sensitivity of wetcollodion by Auguste Bertsch,1852-1862


Maria Estela Jardim

Albert Moitessier (1833-1889)

• Designs for the first time an optical bench

• Publishes “La Photographie appliquée aux recherchesmicrographiques” (1866)

• Photographic Process: dry-collodion and albumen

• Devises two Types of instruments:

• Small-format enlargement

• Direct amplification (vertical and horizontal)


Maria Estela Jardim

Moitessier’s instrument for small-photomicrographs,1866

Moitessier’s vertical instrument

Moitessier’sbig

horizontal instrument

IEDH

MF

B


Maria Estela Jardim

Plate by Moitessier, photomicrograh(with Nachet objectives,“La Photographie appliquée

aux recherches micrographiques”,1866)

PTDC/HIS-HCT/102497/2008Maria Estela Jardim

Carlos May Figueira (1829-1913)

Studied with Charles Robin in Paris (1856)

Professor at the Medical School , Lisbon

First photomicrographies in 1857, made with a Lerebours

microscope

During 1862-1863 taught a microscopic course in 12 lectures

to medical students. The final lesson was dedicated to

photomicrographyA-Drawing with camera Lucida

B-Photomicrography of a cross-section ofa liver from a patient with yellow fever

1857 ( from Cortez Pimentel,1996)


Maria Estela Jardim

Period 1870s-1890s

• Immersion objectives; apochromatic lenses

• Theory of Ernst Abbe and the condenser or light concentrator

• Invention of the gelatin silver bromide by Maddox

ABBE

ZEISS Photomicrograph instruments


Maria Estela Jardim

Innovations in photographic emulsionslate 19th century - early 20th century:

• In 1884, J.-M. Eder perfects the Orthochromatic gelatinemulsion plates invented by H. W. Vogel (1873): sensitive to the yellow-green region of the spectrum

• First Panchromatic plates invented in the early 20thcentury: sensitive to red light


Maria Estela Jardim

Edgar Crookshank (1858-1928)

• Crookshank studied with Robert Koch

• Publishes the first book devoted only tophotography of bacteria, “Photography ofbacteria” containing 86 images reproduced inautotype, 1887

• For Crookshank photography was speciallyvaluable as a pedagogical tool


Maria Estela Jardim

Photomicrograph instrument with limelight (CROOKSHANCK, 1887 ) Swift & Son

Rev

ersi

ble

phot

omic

rogr

aph

appa

ratu

sar

rang

edin

the

vert

ical

pos

ition


Maria Estela Jardim

Spirillum volutans, stained with bacteria in urine, stained withgentian violet gold chloride

Enlargement from negatives, obtained with a hom. imm. Powell and Leland, ×3000

(CROOKSHANK, 1887)


Maria Estela Jardim

Photomicrograph Carl Zeiss (DUCHESNE, 1893)

Aníbal Bettencourt(1868-1930)

Bacteriologist- Director of the Camara PestanaBacteriological Institute founded in 1902, Lisbon

Organizes the scientific mission to Angola to study thesleeping-sickness disease (1902)-report containing 30photomicrographies (use of orthochromatic plates)

“A Doença do Somno”, collotypeBETTENCOURT,1902

J.Guimarães, ”Monographia das Orobanchaceas portuguesas”, collotype

BETTENCOURT,1904


Maria Estela Jardim

Fernand Monpillard (1865-1937)• At the end of the 19th century, Monpillard established a Photomicrograph

Laboratory in Paris near the Museum of Natural History . He

collaborated with several naturalists, biologists, and mineralogists

• Monpillard published his first treatise of photomicrography in 1899

(Microphotography, Paris, Gauthier-Villars) according to his technical

courses given to the Société Française de Photographie. In that book he

recommends the use of coloured screens, apochromatic objectives and

magnesium light provided by a special instrument devised in 1888 by the

bacteriologist Émile Roux, director of the Pasteur Institute in Paris .

• Monpillard did extensive research on emulsion techniques, including

orthochromatism and on colour photography.

Société d’Encouragement ,oct.1888

Built by Pellin


Maria Estela Jardim

Crystallization of Asparagine. Trichromaticphotomechanic proof, polarised light on dry-

plate;collotype;Nachet objectives(MONPILLARD,1892)

Erythrobacillus Pyosepticus,from Fortineau,“Erythrobacillus Pyosepticus et les

bacteries rouges”(MONPILLARD,1904)


Maria Estela Jardim

Final Notes Before 1880s the market for photomicrographic instruments was

limited, so there are few instruments of that period. The instruments

were expensive and the technique was imperfect

At the end of the 19th century , improvement on photographic

techniques ( orthochromatic, panchromatic emulsions) was more relevant

than other technical developments. This fact was crucial for histological

preparations.

Development of photomechanical processes ( invention of

the half-tone and other techniques like autotype) made it

easier to include photomicrographs, as illustrations, in publications.

Photomicrography was also used as a vehicle of popular scientific

images through public projections and international exhibitions.

PTDC/HIS-HCT/102497/2008XXXI Symposium SIC, Brasil 8-14 october 2012Maria Estela Jardim

Bibliography-Beale, I. S. (1865). How to work with the microscope. London:Harrison, 4th edition

- Belin, M.B.M. (1893). L’evolution de la technique photomicrographique . Paris: Hermann & Co.

-Bracegirdle,B. (2010). A history of photography with the light microscope. Grimsby: QMC

-Crookshank,E. M. (1887). Photography of bacteria. London:H.K.L

-Donné, A. (1844). Cours de microscopie complémentaire des études médicales; anatomiemicroscopique et physiologie des fluides de l'économie.Paris: J.-B. Baillière et Fils

-Donné, A. (1845). Cours de microscopie complémentaire des études médicales; anatomiemicroscopique et physiologie des fluides de l'économie. Atlas du Cors de microscopie exécutéed’après nature, au microscope-daguerréotype . Paris: J.-B. Baillière et Fils

-Moitessier,A. (1866). La Photographie appliquée aux recherches micrographiques . Paris: J.-B.Baillière et Fils

-Monpillard,F. and Rabaud,E. (1900). Atlas d’histologie normale. Paris:Carré & Naud

-Pimentel, C. (1996). A documentação pela imagem em Medicina, Historia da sua utilização emLisboa. Lisboa: Universitária Editora.


Maria Estela Jardim

Acknowledgments

Carole Troufleau-Sandrin, SFP

Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Museum of Science, University of Lisbon

Société Française de Photographie


Maria Estela Jardim

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