We’re gearing up for the exhibition, Illuminated: The Art of Sacred Books opening in April. We have an ambitious Explore Area planned that will focus on paper and bookmaking. One of our goals in Education is help folks take a closer look in the galleries, and for Illuminated, we want them to take a REALLY close look using microscopes. Here’s an example of a zoom in of a plant fiber called ramie:
Ramie (Boehmeria sp. OM 600x)
Alongside the microscopes, we’ll have photomicrography of example papers featured from the books in the exhibition. If you’re unfamiliar with the world of photomicrography (photography through the microscope), check out Nikon’s Small World. Every year Nikon sponsors a competition honoring excellence in this field, and winning entries are toured throughout the country. Here’s a video of winning entries from the 37th Annual Competition in 2011:
My office felt a little like Biology 101 the other day as Andrew and I experimented with slides and microscopes. Aside from our friends in conservation and science centers, when was the last time you had to prepare a slide?
