A layer sample of J-aggregates of the dye pseudoisocyanine bromide in an ethylene glycol/water glass layer was studied by scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) developed in our group. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the sample were measured at 50 x 50 scanned sample points at 8 K. The fluorescence dynamics was measured by the optical Kerr-gate method, which verified the excitation-energy transfer to optically forbidden states. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.