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November 21, 2016

The American Woods

awwwods.jpg

Romeyn Beck Hough’s unique fourteen volume work The American Woods, a collection of more than 1000 paper-thin wood samples representing more than 350 varieties of North American tree.
Between 1888 and 1913, Hough published a total of thirteen volumes of the work, but died in 1923 before being able to fulfil his epic fifteen volume plan. However, a final fourteenth volume was published in 1928 using his samples and field notes compiled by his daughter. Each specimen page of the work is dedicated to a single tree and consists of a cardboard plate into which three translucent slices have been placed, three variations of cross-section — transverse, radial, and tangential. The wafer-thin slivers — which would glow like a slide when held up to the light — were prepared using a slicing machine of Hough’s own design and which he patented in 1886. | The Public Domain Review

Posted by gerardvanderleun at November 21, 2016 8:40 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

"transverse"

It's called *chatoyance* and worth taking a look at. You can thank me later.

What, you thought water only flowed UP the tree? Silly.

Posted by: ghostsniper at November 21, 2016 10:11 AM

Chatoyance. Had to look it up. Thank you.

Posted by: Snakepit Kansas at November 22, 2016 4:35 AM

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