Microscope slides

Hilary Wright <hilarymwright [at] hotmail__com> writes

>I have a collection of some 400 microscope slides. Dating from
>around 1900 we think, they are UK in origin and are mostly botanical
>specimens. All are labelled and there is a microscope of a similar
>date. Though most appear to be in good condition, only a few being
>cracked, the mounting media has yellowed. Can anyone help me with
>the following? How can you identify which mounting medium was used?
>Can the slide glass type, or the label or the writing help with
>dating them more accurately?
>
>Is remounting the best option?

The Waring Library has a number of medical (histology, etc.) slides
in our collection and we have not considered remounting because we
feel that it definitely effects the historical aspect and
significance of the slides.

Ours have yellowed, too, but I have not noticed a worsening in the
yellow over the 12 year period that I have been observing them. We
have tried to give them a more stable environment than they had in
their previous home and we hope that has helped.

However, I will add that one of the primary reasons we have not
considered remounting is economic (not enough staff time or money to
hire an outside conservator).

What use will be made of the slides? Would the
researchers/scientists/botanists prefer to see them in their
original form or remounted?

Thought: could you remount the cracked ones and have something to
compare?

Jane Brown
Waring Historical Library
Charleston, SC


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:45
                 Distributed: Friday, February 25, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-13-45-014
                                  ***