"The Snowdrift" in Endless Caverns - New Market, VA

The view shows "The Snowdrift" in the Endless Caverns at New Market, VA. This cavern was discovered by two boys and their dog while chasing a rabbit in 1879. The boys gave candle lite tours of the caves until 1919 when the cave was bought by Colonel Brown. The Colonel added electricity and opened the cave to the public in 1920. The tour is especially enhanced by the lighting effects at the "Snow Drift". Highlighted in a room that is mostly brown and yellow the powdery white formation takes the appearance of a snowdrift. The image is titled

     "THE SNOWDRIFT" below the image
     ENDLESS CAVERNS below the view on the first line
     NEW MARKET, VA. below the view on the second line
     MADE IN FRANCE is along the right side

Antique microphoto glass cliché was made in France in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Each microphoto was made directly on the glass plate. Each 4 inch x 5 inch glass plate was comprised of several hundred of the same microphoto. This larger plate was then hand scored and cut to make the individual photos for use in the manufacturing of stanhopes. Each microphoto cliche is approximately 3mm x 3mm or about an 1/8" square. In most cases we have a few examples of each and as they have been stored for nearly a century, the conditions vary. Some of the cliches may have scratches or other maladies. Because microphotography is very exacting and complex, even the finest made microphotos can have faults. In general, they are very nice and certainly useable for study or could be used for stanhope repairs. They should be considered rare, as such microphotos seldom escaped the stanhope manufacturing workshops. They are a wonderful curiosity and historical artifact.