Doncaster microscopical and General Scientific Society

An exhibition of microscopes, photographs, lantern views, scientific objects, etc., under the auspices of the above society, was held in the Glyn Hotel on Thursday evening last week. The Society has generally held one or two exhibitions during the winter months, but the one last week was a more pretentious affair than usual, thanks to the efforts of the president, Mr. James Walker, C.E., who was , however, unfortunately prevented from being present owing to a family bereavement.

Those who exhibited microscopes were Messrs. J. M. Kirk, Walter Roberts, M. H. Stiles, B. S. Brundell, W. T. Jackson, T. J. Hasselby, H. H. Corbett, G. B. Bisat, George Winter, G. A. Lewis, Dr. Lund, and the Rev. E. H. Bennett.

There were also a number of exhibitors of photographs, including Messrs. M. H. Stiles, F. Whaley, G. Bisat, W. Roberts, and W. D. Watson. The exhibits of Mr. Whaley of a number of composition pictures, evincing a large amount of taste and careful work in their preparation. A group of photo micrographs was also shown by Mr. Stiles.

At half-past eight a lantern exhibition, consisting of a number of local views, of noted architectural efforts and of slides illustrating the construction of the Forth Bridge was given by Mr. Stiles. One exhibit of special interest was a zoetrope. Kindly lent for the occasion by Messrs. Arthur Schwarz and Co., of New Broad Street, London. By means of a number of instantaneous photographs of a man running, taken at equal intervals, and afterwards arranged in the zoetrope, a person was enabled by turning the instrument, to get even a more correct idea of the action of a man in running than can be gained by the eye in the ordinary way.

Light refreshments were provided at 9 p.m. The evening’s entertainment was completed by recitations from Dr. Corbett, instrumental music by Mr. Alfred Taylor, and a little singing.

Notes :-
James G. Walker was President of the society for the year 1890-91

The zoetrope consists of a cylinder with cuts vertically in the sides. On the inner surface of the cylinder is a band with images from a set of sequenced pictures. As the cylinder spins, the user looks through the cuts at the pictures across. The scanning of the slits keeps the pictures from simply blurring together, and the user sees a rapid succession of images, producing the illusion of motion. From Wikipedia