Microscopische opname van triceratium favus-diatomeeën, 190 keer vergroot 1887 - 1888

Marinus Pieter Filbri made this microscopic photograph of triceratium favus-diatomeeën sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. This is a photograph of a diatom, a single-celled algae, enlarged 190 times. Its geometric structure – the triangle divided into tiny hexagons – is naturally occurring. But the photograph is not. It is the product of a new industry: scientific imaging. With the advent of technologies like photography, what had previously been seen and understood by very few people could now be captured and widely distributed. Filbri was one of the individuals who possessed the technological know-how and the aesthetic sensibility to capture the beauty of the microscopic realm. The image, sepia-toned and meticulously composed, reflects the values of a society that was rapidly industrializing, with photography playing a crucial role. Looking at this image reminds us that craft and technology are often intertwined. It challenges us to consider the labor involved in producing these images, and the social context in which they were made.