 cellulosic liquid crystal solutions and suspensions can form chironematic phases which display a wide range of optical textures when in the liquid crystal and state. These textures can be preserved in solid films formed by evaporation of the suspension or solvent. The evaporation process causes the formation of raised rings around the receding contact line which are attributed to the anisotropic shrinkage of the chironematic structure. Atomic force microscopy, AFM, has been used to study the morphology of these films, revealing a radial orientation of the cellulose nanocrystals at the free surface of the film, with a radial height variation corresponding to the anisotropic shrinkage of the chironematic phase. This article was authored by Derrick G. Gray and Sariamou.