James Blackwood
Despite all these public duties he became an accomplished
scientist. He was especially interested in geology and for his
studies he built a microscope and rock sectioning equipment - the
latter produced thin sections of rock which were so thin as to be
transparent. In 1884 he was asked to become an Honorary Member of
the Glenfield Ramblers, which he gladly
did.
From his earliest days, Blackwood had been a pioneer in the
subject of optics, electric light and photography, often lecturing
on these subjects. It is no surprise that it was he who, in 1863,
set up the first electric light in Kilmarnock in an upper room
overlooking the Cross.
Described as second only to his great friend Dr. Heddle as a
mineralogist the Blackwood collection is in three parts: minerals
and rocks, predominantly Scottish; A microscope slide collection;
and a collection of Carboniferous fossils, especially strong in
brachiopods. James Blackwood died in 1893 and his collection now
makes up a large part of the Natural Sciences Collection held by
East Ayrshire Council.