(Above) An injected cat lung as seen under the Culpeper microscope (1720-1738). © Susanna Edwards
Exhibition: Curious: The Craft of Microscopy, Hunterian Museum, London, until July 3 2010
As part of the Royal Society's 350th anniversary celebrations, the Hunterian Museum plays host to a small but significant exhibition exploring microscopy as craft and technology, art and science.
Using eight different microscopes dating back to the 18th century, artist Susanna Edwards photographed a collection of Victorian slides to create a stunning series of natural images.
Insect from egg, as seen under the Reichert microscope (1960-1965). © Susanna Edwards
Each photograph, taken as the eye would see through a microscope, reveals how developments in microscopy during the past 300 years have changed the way we see the world.
When browsing in a vintage ephemera shop, the artist happened upon the slides nestled inside a Cuban cigar box. The exhibition traces the artist's subsequent research and documents how the chance discovery developed into an in-depth photography project.
A 1730s Culpeper Microscope. © Susanna Edwards. Object courtesy The Science Museum, London
"I was intrigued by the creativity and dexterity involved in making these delicate objects," said Edwards, who is acclaimed for her diverse and innovative approach to art.
The large-scale photographs of the slides, which vary from the foot of a salamander to a cat's injected lung, can be appreciated from both an aesthetic and scientific point of view, allowing the viewer to visualise how microscope technology has evolved over time.
The exhibition is clear and accessible in its execution - images are showcased alongside the historic instruments used to capture them, the oldest of which is a 1730s Culpeper microscope.
Salamander foot as seen under the Axioskop microscope (1994). © Susanna Edwards
"Microscopy has played a vital role in the development of modern surgery and medicine," said Museum Director Simon Chaplin.
"It is fitting that the Hunterian Museum, in the heart of the Royal College of Surgeons, will showcase Susanna's work, which casts new light on a technology that we often take for granted."
The exhibition successfully encourages viewers to think about the medical impact of the microscope and the crucial importance it has on our understanding of health and disease.
The Hunterian Museum is a weird and wonderful place that probably doesn't get the recognition it deserves, so it's encouraging to think that Edwards' clever crossover of art and science has the potential to attract a new audience.
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm. Admission free
Visit the exhibition online for more information and a full programme of accompanying events.
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