Early use: macrophotography/microphotography

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enricosavazzi
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Early use: macrophotography/microphotography

Post by enricosavazzi »

In connection with earlier posts about terminology, I just run into an early reference using the term "macrophotography" (or variants), but was not able to read the actual paper. Since the title uses "macro-photograps" in connection with "extension tubes", it should be in the current sense of photomacrography or macrophotography. This is probably the earliest use of "macrophotography" (in the sense of small-subject photography, not large photographic prints) I have found so far:

Warner 1937 - Extension tubes for macro-photographs. Camera, 242, October.

An obituary for the photographer Fritz Goro (born Goreau) in NY Times of December 19, 1986, credits him as the inventor of macrophotography:
"He invented macrophotography, making visible the world that lies between the microscope and the naked eye." The same claim was repeated in Wikipedia and other sources. F. Goro was born in 1901. Many of his science photographs were published in Life and Scientific American, but I was unable to find any texts on photography authored by him, and I don't know what term(s) he actually used.

With respect to "microphotography" (and variants) used as a synonym of photomicrography (not in the sense of miniature photographs), I also found a couple of early examples:

Malley 1883 - Micro-photography. Lewis, London.

Marktanner-Turneretscher 1890 - Die Mikrophotographie als Hilfsmittel naturwissenschaftlicher Forschung. Knapp, Halle.

--AdminCS edited title to fit forum limits
--ES

Choronzon
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Post by Choronzon »

The actual procedure or just the naming convention?
I am not young enough to know everything.

enricosavazzi
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Post by enricosavazzi »

Choronzon wrote:The actual procedure or just the naming convention?
"Macrophotography" and "microphotography" were both used earlier. What is new (in a historic sense) in these references is the meaning of the terms. So the confusion originated earlier than I thought.
--ES

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