Cecilia Glaisher facts for kids

Cecilia Glaisher (born April 20, 1828 – died December 28, 1892) was a talented English photographer, artist, and illustrator. She lived in the 1850s, a time when science and nature studies were very popular in Victorian England. Cecilia was known for her detailed work in photography and her beautiful drawings, especially of plants and snow crystals.

Early Life and Family

Cecilia Louisa Belville was born on April 20, 1828, in Greenwich, England. Her father, John Henry Belville, worked at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. He studied stars and weather. Growing up, Cecilia was likely surrounded by science. This gave her a broader view of the world than many other women at that time. Records show she had her first painting lesson in 1841.

On December 31, 1843, Cecilia married James Glaisher. He was also a well-known scientist. They had three children: Cecilia Appelina, James Whitbread Lee Glaisher, and Ernest Henry.

James Glaisher was very active in science. He became a member of the Royal Society in 1849. He also led several important groups, including the Meteorological Society and the Photographic Society. He worked at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, for many years.

Cecilia likely learned about photography from her husband. She also met other scientists and photographers through him. Her artistic skills were very helpful to her husband's work. She also helped other scientists they knew.

Women in Science

In the 1800s, many women helped with scientific research. They would carefully record, sort, or draw plants and animals. However, as science became more professional, women were often kept out of important meetings. They usually could only attend social events. Women were not allowed to join most scientific groups until much later. Their contributions were rarely recognized publicly.

Cecilia Glaisher began making photographs around 1855. This is when she started working on her project, The British Ferns.

Cecilia's Scientific Art Work

The British Ferns Project

Cecilia Glaisher planned a book called The British Ferns – Photographed from Nature by Mrs Glaisher. It was meant to be a guide to identifying ferns. She worked with Edward Newman, an expert on ferns. Cecilia used a special photography method called photogenic drawing. This was during a time when collecting ferns was very popular in Victorian England.

Newman promoted the book, saying photography would show ferns "with incomparable exactness." This meant the pictures would be perfect copies, showing every detail. In December 1855, a collection of ten prints was shown to the Linnean Society in London. However, the project was stopped by 1856. This might have been because it was hard to get enough people to buy the book or to produce enough prints.

Snow Crystal Drawings

Around the same time, Cecilia worked with her husband on a study of snow crystals. They wanted to understand how different types of snow crystals formed. Cecilia made 151 detailed drawings for her husband's scientific paper. This paper was called On the Severe Weather at the beginning of the year 1855: and on Snow and Snow Crystals. It was published by the Royal Meteorological Society.

Cecilia's drawings were based on sketches she made at their window. She looked at snow crystals through magnifying lenses. Her drawings showed "perfected" snow crystals, representing different types. A scientist named Ukichiro Nakaya later said these were the most accurate drawings of snow crystals before special photography was invented. Since 1868, these drawings have been used for the official seal of the Royal Microscopical Society.

Nature-Printed Leaves

Cecilia Glaisher also created a series of leaf prints. She pressed leaves onto paper, then added color by hand. These prints showed different types of leaves during various seasons. They were collected in an album called Leaves of the British forest trees Nature Printed, 1857 CJ Glaisher. The initials "CJ" likely stand for both Cecilia and James Glaisher.

Exhibitions of Her Work

• Glasgow: In September 1855, 12 of her fern photographs were shown at a photography exhibition.
• London: In May 1885, two of her fern prints were displayed at the International Inventions Exhibition. Her husband, James Glaisher, lent them for the show.