Figure 1. ca. mid-1900s microscope slide by Albert Elger. Another of his slides, with a different style of label, is shown in Brian Bracegirdle's "Microscopical Mounts and Mounters", plate 15-N.
Albert Elger, 1899 - 1977
Anke Korth, 19?? -
by Brian Stevenson
last updated October, 2021
Albert Elger was a professional slide-maker, specializing in mounts of arranged diatoms, radiolaria, and other such materials. He is reported to have learned those skills when working for Eduard Thum (1847-1926), in Leipzig, Germany. He then moved on to work as a mounter for the J.D. Möller Optical Works, in Wedel. By 1933, he was operating his own slide-making business in Eutin. His daughter, Anke Korth, is reported to have begun preparing slides professionally in 1983.
I have found only a few details about the lives of Albert Elger and Anke Korth. I would welcome receipt of any additional information, which will be added to this essay with appropriate acknowledgements.
Figure 1.
ca. mid-1900s microscope slide by Albert Elger. Another of his slides, with a different style of label, is shown in Brian Bracegirdle's "Microscopical Mounts and Mounters", plate 15-N.
Figure 2.
Arranged fossil radiolaria from Barbados, prepared by Albert Elger. Photographed with a 10x objective lens and a C-mounted digital SLR camera, stitched from two images.
Figure 3.
Photomicrographs of arranged diatoms, prepared by Albert Elger (top) and Johann Möller (bottom). Adapted for nonprofit, educational purposes from http://www.elisabeth-barth.de/TMG/Rund/Praes/57.htm
Figure 4.
Photomicrographic details of an arrangement of diatoms that was prepared by Albert Elger's daughter, Anke Korth. Adapted for nonprofit, educational purposes from https://www.tmg-tuebingen.de/rosette-aus-100-diatomeenschalen .
Figure 5.
Excerpt from the 1939 Directory of Eutin, which listed Albert Elger as a "Präparator" at 26 Friedrichstrasse.
Figure 6.
Figure 6. A 1949 advertisement by Elger, from "Mikrokosmos".
Resources
Bracegirdle, Brian (1998) Microscopical Mounts and Mounters, Quekett Microscopical Club, London, pages 34 and 134, and plate 15-N
Directory of Eutin (1939) page 25
Göke, Gerhard (2003) Gelegte Präparate von Protisten - Vergessene und neue Methoden, Mikrokosmos, Vol. 92, pages 99-111
Mikrokosmos (1955) Advertisement from A. Elger, page 50
Mikrokosmos (2001) Historische Anzeige, page 196
Zeitschrift für Geschiebeforschung und Flachlandsgeologie (1933) page 84