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Wilson Bentley Photomicrograph of Stellar Snowflake No. 990

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
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Object Details

Creator
Bentley, W. A (Wilson Alwyn) 1865-1931
SPI No. SPI_277
Bentley No. 990
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. SIA2013-09130
Repository Loc.
Smithsonian Institution Archives Capital Gallery, Suite 3000, MRC 507; 600 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20024-2520
1890
Circa 1890
Local number
SIA RU000031 [SIA2013-09130]
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
Type
Black-and-white photographs
Physical description
Albumen prints; 3.5 x 3;
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Topic
Snowflakes
Photomicrography
Record ID
siris_arc_308076
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0

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This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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