Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.15809

    Details of pumice, a shell, coral and a sponge

    Date
    29 December 1705
    Creator
    Unknown, Artist
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Manuscript page number
    p13
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 223mm
    width (page): 178mm
    Subject
    Description
    Six figures in a letter by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to the Royal Society.

    The letter has suffered from water damage, which has caused this page with images to leave marks on p. 2 when it was at some point kept within the letter.

    Fig. 1: a small part of a pumice stone, in which one can see some very tiny hollow pipes, which one cannot usually see.
    Fig. 2: a detail of a pumice stone in which the pipes are not straight.
    Fig. 3: another rare alignment of canals in a pumice stone.
    Fig. 4: a little shell.
    Fig. 5: a part of a sea shell, called sea horn, on which some small coral parts had got stuck.
    Fig. 6: a small part of a sponge.
    Object history
    The Journal Book mentions on 27 Feburary 1705/6, 'A Letter was read from Mr Lewenhoeck concerning pumice stones, & spunges. He was ordered to be thanked' (JBO/11/83).

    A. Leeuwenhoek, ‘Several Microscopical Observations on the Pumice-Stone, Coral, Spunges, etc.’, Phil. Trans. vol. 24, no. 304 (November and December 1705), pp. 2158-63, tab. 1, figs 1-6.
    Related fellows
    Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (1632 - 1723, Dutch) , Naturalist
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > Netherlands
    Powered by CollectionsIndex+/CollectionsOnline