Finally, as the crystals fall from the clouds, they stick together to form snow. As birthday gifts go, it might not have seemed like much, but to this 1880s vermont farm boy it was special indeed. Snow crystals by w a bentley, w j humphreys alibris. Libbrecht notes that the techniques used by bentley to photograph snowflakes are essentially the same as those used today. Wilson bentley famous homeschoolers famous homeschool. I shared this wonderful book with them and they not only. At last, a year before his death, he published this insight in the book snow crystals, written with physicist william j humphreys and reproducing 2,300 of his photographs as evidence. Humphreys discusses techniques of photographing snow crystals, the science of crystallography, classification and markings. I would have loved a little bit more of text, detailing the experimental procedure of photographing snow crystals, the description found here is very rough. He would go on to capture more than 5000 snowflakes during his. He also had an entry under snow in the fourteenth edition of the encyclopedia britannica. Once he started studying snow, he began learning many things about snow and snowflakes. In 1931, the american meteorological society gathered together the best of these. The strength of this book lies in its plentiful assortment of marvelous pictures, more than you can ask for.
Details about his life, techniques of photomicrography, and a virtual tour. He even drew pictures of them, finding no two snowflakes exactly alike. By adapting a microscope to a bellows camera, and years of trial and error, he became the first person to photograph a single snow crystal in 1885. This is an excellent choice for introducing biographies to young readers, especially because it is a life story of an inspirational subject who exhibits tenacity. Snowflake bentley story questions flashcards quizlet.
There was wilson bentleys classic 1931 reference, and ukichiro nakayas excellent 1954 text, but little else. The way the book is arranged starts off with simple snow crystal structure. Similar books to snow crystals dover pictorial archive. He never made more than a few thousand dollars from his.
In 1931 his book snow crystals, containing more than 2400 snow crystal images, was published by mcgrawhill but has long been out of print. Snowflake bentley is a story of william willy bentleys discovery of photographing snowflakes to share snow crystals beauty in the early 1900s. William bentley is fascinated by snow and spent his life studying snow. Was ever a life history written in more dainty or fairylike hiero. This article was triggered by a ups package i received a couple of days ago. Snow crystals published in november 1931, but bentley didnt get to enjoy much of the acclaim. Snowflakes are ice crystals, a particular form of water ice. Within his massive collection, he noticed every single snowflake was unique, and in the year of his death he, along with william j.
Snow crystals photography wilson alwyn bentley february 9, 1865 december 23, 1931 was the first known photographer of snowflakes. About the bentley collection schwerdtfeger library home. We were making snow flakes for an art project and they were not sure why we were doing this. The introductory text covers the technique of photographing snow crystals, classification, the fundamentals of crystallography. Jan 21, 2010 bentley s obsession with snow crystals began when he received a microscope for his 15th birthday. His photographs and publications provide valuable scientific records of snow crystals and their many types. It was called snow crystals and illustrated approximately 2500 photographs of snowflakes and snow crystals. Humphreys, mcgrawhill, 1931, reprinted in its entirety by dover publications in 1962.
Wilson alwyn bentley 1865 1931, famous for his photomicrographs of snowflakes, prepared sets of glass lantern slides of dew, frost and ice crystals. Bentleys obsession with snow crystals began when he received a microscope for his 15th birthday. I opened it and found the snowflake man, a biography of wilson bentley 1865 1931 written and personally autographed by my good friend dr. Ever since willie bentley was a young boy, he was fascinated with snowflakes. Media in category wilson bentley snow crystals the following 3 files are in this category, out of 3 total. About wilson snowflake bentley almanac surfnetkids. Jan 24, 2006 thats why in 1931, he put more than 2,000 snowflake pictures into a book, snow crystals. In 1931 wilson snowflake bentley was published by mcgrawhill publishing. He looked at them under a microscope and studied their icy crystals. The bentley snow crystal collection of the buffalo museum of science is a digital. Objectives children will learn about the life and work of wilson bentley.
Bentley prepared boxes of lantern slides of dew, frost, snow crystals, and clouds and sold them primarily to colleges and universities in the united states. Bentleys book, snow crystals, containing 2,453 of his photographs, was finally published and delivered to his house just weeks before his death in 1931. This historical figure wore the label snowflake with. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Bentley rarely left his hometown, but his images became famous around the world. Icecrystals are appear as clear glass but more fragile. For over forty years, wilson snowflake bentley 1865 1931 photographed thousands of individual snowflakes and perfected the innovative photomicrographic techniques. Later that year, bentley died of pneumonia after a sixmilelong walk in a blizzard. After walking six miles home through a blizzard in 1931, the same year his exhaustive snow crystals monograph was published, he died of pneumonia on. First, an ice crystal forms around a tiny piece of dirt in a cloud. He published a book, snow crystals, with more than 2400 images in 1931. He never made more than a few thousand dollars from his work, but it had been a labor of love and he was satisfied to know that he would.
Wilson alwyn bentley february 9, 1865 december 23, 1931 was the first known photographer of snowflakes. Dec 23, 2016 in 1931, bentley published a book called snow crystals which included 2,300 of his images and his lifes research, including the idea that no two snowflakes are ever the same. The crystals shape depends on the temperature of the cloud. The book is of great value both to students of ice forms and for textile and other designers who can use the natural designs of these snow crystals in their work. A bentley book 45 editions published between 1931 and 20 in english and undetermined and held by 1,698 worldcat member libraries worldwide. Photographs by snowflake bentley go on sale in new york. This historical figure wore the label snowflake with pride. William bentley found many things in nature to be beautifulfrom grasshoppers to butterflies and snow. Three centuries later the most extensive catalog of its time was made by the vermont farmer wilson bentley, who published the book snow crystals with william humphreys in 1931. Dec 01, 2016 after walking six miles home through a blizzard in 1931, the same year his exhaustive snow crystals monograph was published, he died of pneumonia on december 23, on the farm, the snow stacking up. To effectively work in the snow, you have to understand it.
So i wrote a book all about snowflakes the snowflake. Briggs martin peter spiers rain by peter spier snow is falling by franklyn m. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. This book brought the beauty and wonder of the vermont snow to people all over the world. Buy snow crystals dover photography collections dover pictorial archive 1st edition by bentley, w.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Five hundred of his snowflake photos now reside in the smithsonian. The man who uncovered the secret lives of snowflakes the. Feb 01, 2000 the book is of great value both to students of ice forms and for textile and other designers who can use the natural designs of these snow crystals in their work. Buy snow crystals by w a bentley, w j humphreys online at alibris. In 1931, the american meteorological society gathered together the best of. First published in 1931, this book contains more than 2400 beautiful photographs from w. Published june 1st 1962 by dover publications first published 1931.
Snow crystals dover pictorial archive paperback june 1, 1962. The university of wisconsins department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences donated their collection to the schwerdtfeger library in 2000. He perfected a process of catching flakes on black velvet in such a way that. Finally, as the crystals fall from the clouds, they stick together to. Perfect book for my classroom needs for science and art. In 1931, bentley published a book called snow crystals which included 2,300 of his images and his lifes research, including the idea that no two snowflakes are. Snowflake bentley is a story of william willy bentley s discovery of photographing snowflakes to share snow crystals beauty in the early 1900s. He perfected a process of catching flakes on black velvet in such a way that their images could be captured before they either melted or sublimated kenneth g. Jan 11, 2017 snow crystals published in november 1931, but bentley didnt get to enjoy much of the acclaim. Bentley s original glass slide photographs of snow crystals, and includes dynamic resources to further an appreciation and understanding of bentley and his work. Children will examine the qualities and properties of snowflakes. Bentley and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The bentley snow crystal collection of the buffalo museum of science is a digital library providing a highquality collection of stunning, unretouched images of wilson a. Wab life story eduact smithsonian institution archives.
Many of these sets found their way to colleges and universities around the united states. Wilson bentley 1865 1931 from the time he was a small boy in vermont, wilson bentley saw snowflakes as small miracles. Of all the forms of water the tiny sixpointed crystals of ice called snow are incomparably the most beautiful and varied. And he determined that one day his camera would capture for others the wonder of the tiny crystal. I read snowflake bentley to the kids earlier this week.
Dec 16, 2017 his dream was always to share natures gift with the world, and in 1931 his dream was realized with the publication of snow crystals, a collection of over 2,400 of his finest photographs. His book snow crystals was published by mcgrawhill shortly before his death, and is still in print today. A soft cover copy, identical in all respects, can be obtained today from dover publications, inc on december 23, 1931. Any child who has cut a foldedpaper snowflake will appreciate wilson bentleys infatuation with the. Bentleys original glass slide photographs of snow crystals, and includes dynamic resources to further an appreciation and understanding of bentley and his work. The informational story begins by describing willys love of snow from a young age. He slides down a snow bank in his red snow suit, makes tracks through the snow, makes snow angels, and knocks snow from a tree onto his head. That book is here reproduced, unaltered, and unabridged. His dream was always to share natures gift with the world, and in 1931 his dream was realized with the publication of snow crystals, a collection of over 2,400 of his finest photographs. Snowflakes are icecrystals, a particular form of water ice. Cloudman tells about wilson bentley the snowflake man.