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William Wagner lectures

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Held at: Wagner Free Institute of Science [Contact Us]1700 W. Montgomery Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19121

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Wagner Free Institute of Science. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
89-015
Repository:
Wagner Free Institute of Science
Extent:
2.5 linear feet
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
[Identification of item], William Wagner lectures, 89-015, Library and Archives of the Wagner Free Institute of Science.
Date:
1815-1905 (inclusive)
Creator:
Wagner Free Institute of Science.
Form:
Lectures
Abstract:
William Wagner was a gentleman scientist and avid collector of natural history specimens. He founded the Wagner Free Institute of Science in 1855. This collection contains a series of scientific and general lectures written and delivered by William Wagner. The lectures are arranged by subject and center chiefly on conchology, geology and paleontology, and mineralogy and metallurgy; but also include lectures, for example, on education, agriculture and aesthetics.

William Wagner was a gentleman scientist and avid collector of natural history specimens. After retiring from business as a merchant in 1840, he devoted himself to science. Believing that education in the sciences should be available to everyone, Wagner began offering free lectures on science at his home, Elm Grove, in 1847. Finding that interest in these lectures was strong, in 1855 Wagner founded the Wagner Free Institute of Science and moved the lectures to Spring Garden Hall. In 1859 construction began on a permanent home for his collections and his educational program, which opened to the public in 1865.

This collection contains a series of scientific and general lectures written and delivered by William Wagner. The lectures are arranged by subject and center chiefly on conchology, geology and paleontology, and mineralogy and metallurgy; but also include lectures, for example, on education, agriculture and aesthetics.

Lecture titles are from cover labels.

The lectures have been arranged by a cataloger where necessary. The lecture series on conchology (circa 1847) includes an introduction to the geology section and then are consecutively numbered 1 through 33 (there is some renumbering beginning with numbers 13 through 17). There are eleven lectures on paleontology presented as a subsection of the geology series beginning with ”Lecture A number 1” and ending with “Lecture K number 11.” The mineralogy lectures include an introductory lecture and then are numbered consecutively 1 through 16. The metallurgy subsection is number 17 through 23 and the “Mineralogy-Valedictory” lecture is numbered 24. A final group of miscellaneous lectures (seven of the lectures are dated 1857, one lecture is dated 1856) have been arranged alphabetically by title and address a number of topics and include lectures on mining numbered 1 through 3, lectures on geology numbered 1 through 4, and include lectures on Stephen Girard, education and so forth. What appears to be an earlier geology series (archive title: Geology Series A is included in the Miscellaneous series) includes an introduction and lectures numbered 1 through 4.

Most of the lectures are bound in cardboard covers.

Collection transferred to archives from Director's Office, 1989.

The creation of the electronic guide for this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project.

Finding aid entered into the Archivists' Toolkit by Garrett Boos.

Organization
Subject

Publisher
Wagner Free Institute of Science
Finding Aid Date
2010.12.08
Sponsor
The creation of the electronic guide for this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project. Finding aid entered into the Archivists' Toolkit by Garrett Boos.
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

Copyright restrictions may apply. Please contact the Wagner Free Institute of Science with requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote or reproduce the material.

Collection Inventory

Introductory lecture on conchology and Lectures 1-15, 1847.
Box 1 Item 1-15

Introductory lecture on geology, undated.
Box 2 Item 16
Lectures on geology, numbers 1-6, undated.
Box 2 Item 17-22
Lecture number 7 on geology: Tides and Currents, undated.
Box 2 Item 23
Lectures on geology, numbers 8-10, undated.
Box 2 Item 24-26
Lectures on geology, numbers 11-13, undated.
Box 3 Item 27-29
Two lectures, 13 1/4, geology: on Yellow Stone Valley, geysers, mud springs, boiling springs, etc, undated.
Box 3 Item 30
Two lectures, 13 1/2, geology: on the geysers, boiling springs, mud [springs] of the Yellow Stone Valley, undated.
Box 3 Item 31
Review of the aqueos and volcanic effects upon the surface of our planet before lecture 14 on the strata of the earth, number 13 3/4, undated.
Box 3 Item 32
Lecture number 14 on the strata of the earth's crust, undated.
Box 3 Item 33
Number 2 (15) on the strata of the earth's crust, undated.
Box 3 Item 34
Relation of unstratified to stratified rocks, numbers 13, 16, 15. Includes p. 1-3, "Closing remarks", undated.
Box 3 Item 35
Stratified rocks, number 17: transition, secondary, tertiary, undated.
Box 3 Item 36
Two lectures on fossil remains (mamalia), number 18, undated.
Box 4 Item 37
Fossilsauri ans., Ichthyosaurus, Caprolites, Plesiosaurus, Mosasaurus: number 19, undated.
Box 4 Item 38
Lecture 20, Saurians, Pteradactyle, Megalosaurus, Iquaridon, Amphibious Saurians, Fossil Tortoises, undated.
Box 4 Item 39
Fossil fishes, number 8, number 21, undated.
Box 4 Item 40
Two lectures on the coral reefs or lagoons, number 22, undated.
Box 4 Item 41
Atolls, barrier fringing, reefs of the Pacific Ocean, number 23: remarks upon the dust which falls on the west coast of Africa about the latitude of the Cape de Verde Islands, undated.
Box 4 Item 42
Petroleum, pitch, asphaltum, naptha and oil wells, number 24, undated.
Box 4 Item 43
Petroleum, pitch, asphaltum, naptha and oil wells, number 25, undated.
Box 4 Item 44
Coal theory of its origin, extent and formation, number 26, undated.
Box 4 Item 45
Number 27, 2 lectures on the theories respecting the original introduction of the species, undated.
Box 4 Item 46
1st lecture on meteorites, undated.
Box 4 Item 47
2nd lecture on meteorites, undated.
Box 4 Item 48
The ocean, number 30, undated.
Box 4 Item 49
Tides, ocean highways and currents, number 31, undated.
Box 4 Item 50
On the lakes of the world, number 32, undated.
Box 4 Item 51
Number 33, lecture on mineral veins, undated.
Box 4 Item 52

Paleontology, lecture A, number 1, 1854 November.
Box 5 Item 53
Paleontology, geology, lectures B-G, numbers 2-7, undated.
Box 5 Item 54-59
Paleontology, geology, lecture H, number 8, 1855 February 4.
Box 5 Item 60
Paleontology, geology, lecture I-K, numbers 9-11, undated.
Box 5 Item 61-63

Introduction to Mineralogy, undated.
Box 6 Item 64-65
Lecture number 1 on mineralogy, Introduction to mineralogy the elements and nomenclature, undated.
Box 6 Item 66
Lectures on mineralogy numbers 2-11, undated.
Box 6 Item 67-76
Lectures on mineralogy numbers 12-23, undated.
Box 7 Item 77-88
Lectures on mineralogy-Valedictory, undated.
Box 7 Item 89

About the weather. Transcription of label: "Del'd on 24 Nov. 57".
Box 8-10 Item 90
[Geology] The early history of geology, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 91
[Geology introduction], undated.
Box 8-10 Item 92
[Geology lecture], undated.
Box 8-10 Item 93
[Geology lecture] Number 3, number 4, action of running water, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 94
[Geology lecture] Number 4, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 95
[Geology lecture] Basin of the Mississippi, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 96
Habits and harmonies of birds, 1857 August.
Box 8-10 Item 97
The human race, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 98
[The human race] The European branch. Possibly part of "The human race" (see item number 98), undated.
Box 8-10 Item 99
[Introductory to courses of natural history], undated.
Box 8-10 Item 100
Jordan, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 101
Knowledge is power ... delivered before the Wagner Free Institute of Science, February 16, 1856, 1856.
Box 8-10 Item 102
Lecture on agriculture, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 103
Lecture on algae, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 104
Lecture on education number 1 and 2, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 105
Lecture on education, number 2, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 106
Lecture on crystallization, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 107
A lecture on water, dew, springs, sea and tides. Transcription of label: "Del'd 1 Dec. 57, 6 Feb. [57]. 22 Nov. 58", 1857 August 10.
Box 8-10 Item 108
Life and times of Stephen Girard/by Professor William Wagner; delivered for aged professor, in November 1882 by Charles P. Sherman, Esq, 1882.
Box 8-10 Item 109
[Mining] Lecture on mining, no. 1, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 110
[Mining] Lecture second on mining: coal, iron, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 111
[Mining] Lectures on mining, number 3, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 112
On the milky juices of plants. Transcription of label: "Delivered May 6th, 1857", 1857August.
Box 8-10 Item 113
On the precious stones, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 114
Remarks on the duration of rewards and punishments in a future state, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 115
Three lectures: On the first, or recent period, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 116
[Three lectures...] Possibly part of "Three lectures..." (see item number 116), undated.
Box 8-10 Item 117
[Three lectures...] Change of climate. Possibly part of "Three lectures..." (see item number 116), undated.
Box 8-10 Item 118
Two aesthetics lectures: on the powers of perception by means of the senses, 1857 July.
Box 8-10 Item 119
Two lectures on the diamond, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 120
Two lectures on the history of the vegetable world, 1857 September 3.
Box 8-10 Item 121
Two lectures on the voice, 1857 July 2.
Box 8-10 Item 122
Two lectures: what does man live upon?, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 123
Various modes of flight & c, undated.
Box 8-10 Item 124
[We will now call attention to the birds...] Title from first line of manuscript. --Includes lecture material on the birds, "The vegetable kingdom," Animal and insect," and an "Introduction" (possibly the introduction to "Human Race and European Branch. (see item number 98), undated.
Box 8-10 Item 125
[Wrapper] Lectures on natural science and other subjects..., undated.
Box 8-10 Item 126

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