June 1, 2010 (Vol. 30, No. 11)
URL:
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/micropolitan
Rating:
Strong Points: Beautiful images, with some humor infused throughout the site
Weak Points: No background information on species
Summary:
I can guarantee that most art connoisseurs have never visited a museum like this. The whimsical online Micropolitan Museum (proudly presented, as noted on the site, by “The Institute for the Promotion of the Less than One Millimetre”) contains a collection of beautiful images of microscopic organisms (referred to in the museum as “microscopic art forms”). The site is divided into four exhibits: the freshwater collection, the marine collection, the insectarium, and the botanical garden. Visitors to the site can navigate by tabs corresponding to these categories, or they can actually peruse a museum floor plan, which showcases the constituents of each exhibit. These include: a “Hall of Arthropods,” a “Water Flea Circus,” and a “Diatom Display.” Lighthearted and fun, the Micropolitan Museum presents an extraordinary collection of gorgeous images. Masterpieces, indeed!