Simple Photomicrography without a Microscope
| Published date | 01 January 1943 |
| Date | 01 January 1943 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X4301600111 |
| Author | George Maclean |
| Subject Matter | Article |
PHOTOMICROGRAPHY
WITHOUT
A
MICROSCOPE
45
to the work the Special constables could and did do, and the close
relationship that existed between Regulars and Auxiliaries.
The
result
of it all is
that
the Specials are proud of the police force of which they
form part and the Regulars
ar~
proud of the Auxiliaries they have
trained.
It
is realised that the above method of training could
not
be used
in country districts
but
seems to be generally applicable to towns,
whether boroughs with their own police force or smaller towns forming
part of counties.
Simple Photomicrography without a
Microscope
By
DETECTIVE-LIEUT.
GEORGE
MACLEAN,
F.R.M.S.
Fingerprint Bureau,
City
of Glasgow Police
MANY articles have been published in THE
POLICE
JOURNAL
from
time to time on the identification of minute traces left at the scene
of a crime, and these articles have usually been illustrated by photo-
micrographs which could be produced in court for the information of
judge and jury.
In
most of the cases described the microscope has been used by
the expert to analyse the minute traces,
but
many instances occur in
police investigations where the microscope or microscopic-objective
can be used solely to magnify, and the evidence thus obtained photo-
graphed and spoken to in courtby an officer withoutscientific knowledge.
This
article is an endeavour to explain how police officers who are
keen on photography can make their own photomicrographs without
elaborate apparatus, and so produce pictures available for demonstration
in court.
Many books have been published on photomicrography,
but
these,
in addition to being expensive, usually devote too much space to the
description of various microscopes and accessories, and too little space
to the elementary principles of the subject. Also, the apparatus
described is usually much too expensive for the beginner, and very
often deters photographers from taking up the subject.
Low-power photomicrography has been chosen for two main
reasons. First, in this sphere lie the opportunities for the intelligent
police officer to produce photomicrographs where the essential is
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