Microorganisms, Microscopes, and Victorian Design Theories

Abstract

This article looks at the interface between art, science, and design by considering the role of microscopes, the visualisation of microorganisms and British mid-nineteenth century design theories. In particular, it examines the dialogue between microscopical arranged slides that became popular in the second half of the century and the design theories of Owen Jones, diffused through the seminal Grammar of Ornament and the South Kensington system. Whereas the scientific observation of plants and their role in the development of guiding principles of ornament has attracted the attention of scholars, especially in relation to the Department of Science and Art, the intersections between the “microscope mania”, the material culture of microscopy, and design theories have been overlooked. Through the lenses of the microscope, a new world was revealed that potentially exposed general laws of harmony in form and colour. Coinciding with the emergence of microbial biology, the microscope was looked at as a tool for the renewal of the decorative arts. At the crossroads between art and science, the popular production of arranged slides both confirmed and performed the principles of ornament, at a time when both the visualisation of these principles and the transcription of microscopic observation shared common practices.