Figure 1. Preparation of “a mite” by Dr. A.C. Stokes. Dated June 24, 1887.
Alfred Cheatham Stokes, 1846 - 1926
by Brian Stevenson
last updated August, 2018
Dr. A.C. Stokes worked as a physician in Trenton, New Jersey, and was a well-known expert in microscopy. He was editor and publisher of a monthly magazine, The Microscope, between 1889 and 1891. Stokes also wrote several influential books and numerous magazine articles on microscopical techniques and on the biology of protozoans. Among these were Microscopy for Beginners, or, Common Objects from the Ponds and Ditches, which was first published in 1887, and was reissued several times over the following decades.
Stokes’ microscope slides bear custom-printed labels (Figure 1). Those that I have seen are generally well prepared, with modest finishing touches. They are not encountered very often at auctions. Stokes was an amateur mounter, and I have not located records of him advertising slides for general exchange. Most likely, surviving Stokes slides came from either his personal collection or from gifts he made to friends.
Figure 1.
Preparation of “a mite” by Dr. A.C. Stokes. Dated June 24, 1887.
Alfred was the eldest of the three children of Whital and Almira Stokes. Father Whital was a fairly wealthy druggist in Bordentown, New Jersey: the 1860 census listed his worth at $5000 personal property and $21000 in real estate.
Alfred Stokes graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1869. An obituary stated that he began practicing in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1880. That is probably an error, as he is listed as being a physician there in an 1874 Trenton directory - most likely, he started his practice shortly after graduating from medical school, in 1869 or 1870. Alfred did not marry. From at latest 1900 onward, he lived with his two sisters, both of whom also remained unmarried.
Stokes titled one of his first scientific papers, “Leaves from a summer note-book”, a breezy title that probably reflects how he became interested in microscopical studies. This 1881 paper describes his observations of several species of local protozoa. It included a plate with his drawings (Figure 2). Many more papers on protozoan biology followed over the next several years. He produced a masterwork in 1888, “A preliminary contribution toward a history of the fresh-water infusoria of the United States”, spanning 274 pages of the Journal of the Trenton Natural History Society, with 13 plates of illustrations by Stokes (Figure 3).
An extension of those interests, Stokes produced a general interest book, Microscopy for Beginners, or, Common Objects from the Ponds and Ditches, in 1887 (Figure 4). Later editions added the word “Aquatic” to the beginning of the title. The fourth edition of this very popular book was published in 1918.
In September, 1889, Alfred Stokes took over the roles of editing and publishing a popular magazine, The Microscope (Figure 5). Founded in 1881, the magazine competed for subscribers with another US magazine, The American Monthly Microscopical Journal. After about a year and a half, Stokes sold The Microscope to Charles Smiley, owner of The American Monthly Microscopical Journal. Smiley took over editing and publishing duties with the April, 1892. The transaction was described, “Mr. Chas. W. Smiley, who for years has been editor and proprietor of the American Monthly Microscopical Journal, has recently acquired the Microscope, hitherto edited and published by Dr. Alfred C. Stokes, of Trenton, N.J., and will henceforth issue both journals from Washington. In the May number of both journals there appears a very frank and dignified statement of the past history of both publications, and the causes which have hitherto kept either of them from making any money, or doing what they should do for American microscopy, and at the same time outlining the future policy of the journals briefly as follows: The Journal being the elder publication is to be increased in size and to be devoted to higher microscopy, and will cost 82 per annum. The Microscope will take the elementary field as a dollar magazine, and will be decreased in size. It will be used as educative and preparatory to the Journal. Dr. S.G. Shanks, a well-known microscopist, of Albany, will edit the Microscope. The editor of the Journal has not yet been chosen. Both journals will be furnished for $2.50 per annum. As to the reasons given by Mr. Smiley, who has taken his readers completely into his confidence, for not consolidating the two publications, we think they are ample and conclusive. He says: ‘The advanced workers are not willing that their journal shall be made a vehicle for elementary matter. and the amateurs will not pay two or more dollars for a magazine combining everything; hence consolidation seems impracticable. Were it attempted, a new $1 periodical would shortly spring up, first appealing to amateurs, but gradually working its way towards competition with the older journal. The history of the past twelve years would be repeated’. We sincerely wish Mr. Smiley all the success that his courage and devotion to microscopy deserves, and hope to be able to chronicle the immediate accession of his journals to a paying basis. We shall certainly use our best endeavors for them”.
Stokes published another comprehensive survey of American microscopical life in 1893, Analytical Keys to the Genera and Species of the Fresh Water Algae and the Desmidieae of the United States (Figure 6).
He published a compendium of useful information on the microscope and related techniques, Microscopical Praxis, in 1894 (Figure 7).
Stokes continued an active life in microscopical investigations and writing until well into the twentieth century.
Through most of his time in Trenton, Stokes lived at 527 Monmouth Street. He died there “suddenly”, on April 15, 1926. An obituary wrote, “Dr. Stokes, who refrained from active medical practice and lived the life of a recluse for several years, was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1869, and began practice in this city in 1880 (sic, probably began ca.1870). He enjoyed considerable distinction in the fields of microscopy and entomology, contributing many books and articles to those branches of learning. His best known works are ‘A Contribution to a History of Fresh Water Infusoria, in the United States’, and ‘Aquatic Microscopy for Beginners’, the latter of which went to four editions”.
Figure 2.
Illustrations of protozoans, by Alfred C. Stokes, from his 1881 “Leaves from a summer note-book”.
Figure 3.
First page and a plate of Stokes' illustrations, from his 1888 “A preliminary contribution toward a history of the fresh-water infusoria of the United States”.
Figure 4.
The title page from Stokes’ 1887, first edition of “Microscopy for Beginners”. Subsequent editions were entitled, “Aquatic Microscopy for Beginners”.
Figure 5.
Alfred Stokes was the editor and publisher of “The Microscope” from September, 1889, until March, 1892. He wrote numerous articles for the magazine before, during, and after his tenure.
Figure 6.
Title page of Stokes’ 1893 “Analytical Keys to the Genera and Species of the Fresh Water Algae and the Desmidieae of the United States”.
Figure 7.
Title page of Stokes’ 1894 “Microscopical Praxis”.
Figure 8.
Full-page advertisements for Alfred Stokes’ books, from 1896 issues of “The Observer”.
Figure 9.
An 1896 endorsement for Spencer lenses, from “The Transactions of the American Microscopical Society”.
Figure 10.
Magnified view of “a mite”, mounted by Alfred C. Stokes (see Figure 1). Photographed with transmission lighting, a 10x objective lens, and a C-mounted digital SLR camera.
Resources
Boyd’s Trenton City Directory (1874) “Stokes Alfred C., physician, E State ab Clinton, h do”, page 302
The Guide to Nature (1926) “Dr. A.C. Stokes to be buried Monday”, quoted from The Trenton Evening Times, April 16, Vol. 18, page xxii
Medical Directory of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut (1910) “Stokes, Alfred C., 527 Monmouth st. Univ. Pa., 1869”, page 827
The Microscope (1889-1892) edited by A.C. Stokes, Trenton, New Jersey
The National Druggist (1892) The microscopical journals, Vol. 20, page 194
The Naturalists' Directory (1914) “Stokes, A.C., M.D., 527 Monmouth St., Trenton, N.J. Mic., Rotifera, Protozoa”, page 107
The Observer (1896) Advertisements for Alfred Stokes’ books, Vol. 7, various issues
Smiley, Charles (1892) Editorial (on the histories and merging of The American Monthly Microscopical Journal and The Microscope), The American Monthly Microscopical Journal, Vol. 13, pages 96-98
Stokes, Alfred C (1881) Leaves from a summer note-book, American Journal of Microscopy and Popular Science, Vol. 6, pages 189-194
Stokes, Alfred C (1882) A Food Habit of Difilugia pyriformis, American Monthly Microscopical Journal, Vol. 3, page 93
Stokes, Alfred C (1882) Sphagnum, desmids, rhizopods, eels, American Monthly Microscopical Journal, Vol. 3, pages 152-153
Stokes, Alfred C (1883) New members of the infusorial Order Choano-Flagellata, American Monthly Microscopical Journal, Vol. 4, pages 204-208
Stokes, Alfred C (1883) A new Vorticella (V. vestita), American Monthly Microscopical Journal, Vol. 4, page 208
Stokes, Alfred C (1883) Notes on Htereophrys myriopoda, The Microscope, Vol. 3, pages 208-211
Stokes, Alfred C (1884) The reproduction of Clathrulina elegans, Science, Vol. 4, page 303
Stokes, Alfred C (1884) Notices of new fresh-water infusoria, American Microscopical Journal, Vol. 5, page 208
Stokes, Alfred C (1884) What is the American form of Paramoecium?, The Microscope, Vol. 4
Stokes, Alfred C (1887) Notices of new fresh-water infusoria, Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, Vol. 7, pages 35-40
Stokes, Alfred C (1888) A preliminary contribution toward a history of the fresh-water Infusoria of the United States, Journal of the Trenton Natural History Society, Vol. 1, pages 71-344
Stokes, Alfred C (1887) Microscopy for Beginners, or, Common Objects from the Ponds and Ditches (first edition), Harper & Brothers, New York
Stokes, Alfred C (1893) Notices of some undescribed infusoria from the brackish waters of the eastern United States, Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, Vol. 13, pages 298-302
Stokes, Alfred C (1893) Analytical Keys to the Genera and Species of the Fresh Water Algae and the Desmidieae of the United States, E.F. Bigelow, Portland, Connecticut
Stokes, Alfred C (1894)Microscopical Praxis; or, Simple Methods of Ascertaining the Properties of Various Microscopical Accessories, E.F. Bigelow, Portland, Connecticut
Stokes, Alfred C (1896) Aquatic Microscopy for Beginners, or, Common Objects from the Ponds and Ditches (third edition), E.F. Bigelow, Portland, Connecticut
Stokes, Alfred C (1897) Some new forms of American rotifera, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Vol. 19, pages 628-633
Stokes, Alfred C (1918) Aquatic Microscopy for Beginners, or, Common Objects from the Ponds and Ditches (fourth edition), John Wiley & Sons, New York
Stokes family gravestone (accessed July, 2018) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54852846
Transactions of the American Microscopical Society (1896) Advertisement for Spencer microscope lenses, Vol. 18, page xv
Trenton, New Jersey, City Directory (1889) “Stokes Alfred, physician, h 514 E State”, page 542
Trenton, New Jersey, City Directory (1893) “Stokes Alfred, physician, h 527 Monmouth”, page 587
US census and other records, accessed through ancestry.com