Victorian Butterfly Specimen Collection
Victorian Butterfly Specimen Collection
USA, ca. mid to late 1800s. A truly remarkable and unusual collection of butterfly wings with their original wood carrying case. Features 36 microscope slides arranged in groups of 6 - most with carefully mounted specimens in what appears to be a wide range of species. Pink and gold paper feels quintessentially Victorian, and when combined with the butterfly wing, perfectly captures the era’s obsession with the natural world. A miniature and magical cabinet of curiosities, there are also slides containing samples of seaweed, which are most likely homemade.
A curious and beautiful object - whose survival is truly impressive. Surely treasured by its original owner, we can only imagine how these slides would have been a source of extreme wonder in their day. Something of a symbolic testament to the fragility of it all.
Overall excellent antique condition.
Dimensions: 8.5” long x 4.5” wide x 2” high; each slide measures 3” long x 1” wide.