General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Large pulp print in a wooden varnished frame.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

59.5 cm

Width

46.5 cm

Height

1.5 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Medical Technology

Category

Miscellaneous

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Unknown

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Connecticut

City

Glastonbury

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

This painting should be paired with a replica of the Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek microscope made and distributed by Bausch & Lomb (art. no. 2002.0037). The replica came to us from the Academy of Medicine Collection in Toronto. It would have been a marketing souvenir given to doctors by Bausch and Lomb. The painting and replica are part of the commercial, marketing, image-making dimension of medicine in the early 20th century. In 1935 the painter, W.F. Soare made a series of paintings celebrating the history of optics. This one depicts Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek demonstrating his microscope in 1675. Soare was known as a “pulp artist.” William Fulton Soare was born 1896 in Hackensack, New Jersey. After finishing high school in Hackensack, he and his older brother joined the Army to serve in the Great War with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe. He achieved the rank of Sergeant. After the war he studied art at the Sorbonne in Paris. He returned to New York City and studied with Harvey Dunn, and Dean Cornwell at the Grand central School of Art. In 1927 he opened an art studio at 41 Union Square. In 1935 he received an important public commission to paint a series on the history of progress in optics at the Hayden Planetarium for Bausch & Lomb, Inc.

Function

Used as a marketing tool by Bausch & Lomb, and would have appeared in Doctors offices.

Technical

A print depicting Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, the inventor of the microscope. We have a replica of this microscope made and distributed by Bausch & Lomb (art. no. 2002.0037) that goes with this painting. It would have been a companion souvenir for this painting.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Written at the bottom right portion of the print, the artists signature: " W.F /. SOARE " Text written at the bottom of the print: " A MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENT WAS THE DISCOVERY OF BACTERIA /. IN 1675 BY ANTONI VAN LEEUWENHOEK, WHO USED A /. PRIMITIVE MICROSCOPE OF HIS OWN MANUFACTURE /. BAUSCH & LOMB OPITCAL CO., ROCHESTER N.Y - AMERICA'S LEADING OPTICAL INSTITUTION "

Missing

Appears complete.

Finish

Varnished wooden frame with a glass layer covering the pulp print with black text. There is a metal hanging wire on the back of the frame. At the bottom of the print near the edge of the frame there are noticeable humidity/water stains. Multiple finishing naisl on the back of the frame.

Decoration

This colored print depicts Antonio Van Leeuwenhoek and the discovery of bacteria.