Becore macrophotography, microscopic findings were documented by botanical illustrators. One of these illustrators is Ernst Haeckel, a German biologist, naturalist, philosopher, and physician.
Haeckel spent his life researching flora and fauna “from the highest mountaintops to the deepest ocean.” He not only discovered, described, and named thousands of new species, but captured their forms with his incredible illustrations. Rendered with graphic precision and delicate shading, Haeckel’s work embraced the Darwin theory of evolution and helped to educate the world about microscopic organisms that were previously unseen.
In 1864, Haeckel sent Charles Darwin, two folio volumes on radiolarians. His gothic, white on black drawings impressed Darwin so much that he wrote back to Haeckel to express his gratitude. He said, “[They] were the most magnificent works which I have ever seen, and I am proud to possess a copy from the author.”
(Images from Wikimedia Commons)