Published Album of Photographs (Albumen Prints, Photomicrographs) 'The Wonders of the Microscope, Photographically Revealed', by W. H. Olley, Great Yarmouth and London, 1861

The Wonders of the Microscope, Photographically Revealed. By Olley's Patent Micro-Photographic Reflecting Process (London: W. Kent & Co., 1861). The author is identified only in a later pencil annotation, as William Henry Olley. Bound in black half-leather (very worn) and purple cloth. Flyleaf + blank leaf (with owner's signature) + title leaf + 4 further preliminary leaves + errata slip + text leaf (numbered 1), 2 tissue protectors, & plate with mounted photograph + 35 further sequences of text leaf, tissue, plate + blank leaf + flyleaf. Loose manuscript slip identifying the work. Owner's signature of Henry Ewen (one of the original subscribers). Spine missing and binding badly broken, boards and contents loose; some foxing, though the photographs themselves are in good condition.

The 36 photographs are albumen prints cut circular (approximately 3½ inches) and mounted on thin card. All but three of the mounts carry blind-stamps, the first 18 reading 'Harmer | Great Yarmouth', the rest (except 3) reading 'Fisher | Taken by Olley's | Patent Micro Photographic | Reflecting Process'. (Henry R. Harmer of Great Yarmouth is one of the subscribers; for other Harmer photographs see 11986 and 11987.) They are photomicrographs of objects familiar to amateur microscopists including the house-fly, bee, spider, various plants, diatoms, and ending with three human specimens (see list). The photographs are untoned albumen prints of yellowy sepia and brown colours, all in very good condition retaining good contrast and strong brown colour.

For fuller descriptive and historical commentary, list of contents, and Olley's introductory comments, see narratives.