Gustavus Katterfelto (circa 1743-1799). Historical image of the Prussian conjurer, scientific lecturer and quack, Christian William Anthony Katterfelto. Katterfelto travelled around Britain from 1776 until his death in 1799. He was an accomplished conjurer, lecturing and entertaining using magnetism, electricity and many other seemingly miraculous aspects of science. He became famous during the 1782 flu epidemic during which he used his ‘solar microscope’ (shown here) to show images of microbes he believed to be its cause. Image from ‘La Conquete Du Monde Invisible’ by Giuseppe Penso.
(Travalanche) 