Historic Bentley snowflake photos for sale in US

“Ten of the pioneering photos of snowflake crystals US farmer Wilson A Bentley began taking more than a century ago are to be sold in New York.

Bentley (1865-1931) is credited with capturing the first images of single snowflakes on camera. He made thousands of the jewel-like prints, no two alike.

His photomicrography technique involved a microscope and a bellows camera.

He caught pneumonia in a blizzard and died just weeks after the publication of his book Snow Crystals.” [... continued @ BBC]

[more details @ Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley & Carl Hammer Gallery]

Beautiful examples @ the Hammer Gallery site ... in the hands of someone with graphics expertise (which excludes me) some of those old pictures would be great wallpapers or CD covers.

The War On ... Santa?

The BBC is reporting that Santa Claus is apparently trying to muscle in on Austria ... Austria? A number of Austrians are fighting to save their traditional bringer of gifts, Christkind, from the tough tactics of the big guy. The Bush administration Americans are denying any involvement.