15 Dec | 2025, Dec 2025 | The microscope that “saw” snow algae in 1761, exhibited at ROUGE COMME NEIGE

It has arrived!

The microscope 🔬 that very likely enabled the first observation of snow algae by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure in 1761 has arrived at the ROUGE COMME NEIGE exhibition at the Grenoble Museum. This microscope once belonged to de Saussure’s uncle, the renowned botanist Charles Bonnet.

On display from December 15, 2025.

An exceptional loan from the Museum of the History of Science of Geneva.

Come and admire it!

For all audiences!

Co-produced by the City of Grenoble through its Museum of Natural History, the CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), and Météo-France, the exhibition Red as Snow showcases the scientific work of the ALPALGA project, dedicated to exploring the microscopic life that inhabits high-altitude snow.