Boxes and boxes of slides, all collected by Professor JD Boyd during the 1950’s and 60’s. The size of the glass slides are in proportion to the size of the histological specimen displayed. Some are inches wide, the largest I have ever seen. The staining is predominantly haematoxylin and eosin (H & E) which stains nuclei blue, and cells red.

Glass microscope slides have a precious quality about them, I find that it’s instinctive to handle them with fingertips. The tissue sections on these slides are especially precious being of human embryonic, placental and uterine tissue.  They are a collection of their time and still of scientific value. We live in a different era, it would be almost impossible to put a collection like this together now.