Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, from all of us in the Eton College Collections

These images of snowflakes were described by the experimental scientist Robert Hooke (1635-1703), who noted the hexagonal structure of the ice crystals. Hooke recorded his observations through an early compound microscope in a series of detailed descriptions and meticulous drawings, which he had engraved for his seminal book Micrographia, the first on the subject in English. This opening from College Library’s copy of Hooke’s Micrographia [ECL Ab.3.03] is currently on display in the exhibition, Elemental.