08 January 2009

Snowflake Bentley


"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated., When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind."

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley 1925


The first man to capture snow crystals on camera was a Vermont farmer named Wilson Bentley, who was given a microscope as a teenager. Bentley was so enraptured by what he saw that he went on to devote his life to photographing thousands of snow crystals, and did much to persuade the world that they are all different.

Bentley Virtual Museum here.

Great book (with beautiful woodcuts) for kids and adults alike here . . . Thanks Susan.

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