SOME INCIDENTS in the COLLECTION of the EDGAR FAHS SMITH MEMORIAL LIBRARY* EVA V. ARMSTRONG? University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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HE Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Library represents a notable collection of books, prints, and manuscripts relating to the history of chemistry; it contains also material pertaining to the Colonial history of the University of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia, among which are autograph letters of signers of the Declaration of Independence who were associated with the University-Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, and others. There is also a collection of early American engravings, notably the stipple prints of David Edwin; and a series of early literary magazines containing valuable biographical material, such as the Portfolio, the Emporium of Arts and Science, the Casket, the Analectu Magazine, the European Magazine, and the Gentlemen's Magazine. I t is my purpose tonight to speak of the collection on the history of chemistry, which is the largest and most important part of the Library. Dr. Smith began the collection of this material as a recreation from more serious duties during his provostship of the University of Pennsylvania. I was fortunate enough to be associated with him during that period and to
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* Address delivered at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia
an January 20, 1933, before the Special Libraries Council of Philadelphia and Vicinity. t Curator of the Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Library.
share with him the adventures of collecting. Much material was assembled pertaining to alchemy and the alchemists, and many interesting incidents arose. I well remember the day he purchased from a dealer in New York an autograph of Henry Cornelius Agrippa, German alchemist, who lived from 1486 to 1535. In less than a week, Dr. Smith received a radiogram from Sweden offering to relieve him of the purchase at double the price. Surely a fair demonstration of the magic power of Agrippa to transmute baser materials into gold! But the Provost decided to hold the signature. Nothing daunted, the determined collector in Sweden, finding money of no avail, sent several tempting manuscripts of French and German chemists, any or all of which he offered in exchange for the coveted autograph. Greatly entertained by the spirit of his antagonist, Dr. Smith enjoyed readingthe letters, which he finally returned to Dr. Waller, politely regretting his preference for Agrippa. Still there was no peace in Sweden, and another mail brought rare manuscripts of Swedish chemists-Berzelius, Mosander, and Sefstrom, which were offered in exchange, together with a bonus in gold. The Swedish letters, long desired.. oroved too meat a tem~tationto the Provost: he kept them hut Ydeclined the'gold. And so was sent across the sea to Sweden and another international truce was declared.
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A stirring moment was the chance finding of a rare print in Boston for the sum of thirty-five cents. Some years later, before prosperity went around the corner, a duplicate was offered in New York for seventy-five dollars. The fame of the little collection spread abroad in the world of chemistry and, in 1926, when the American Chemical Society, of which Dr. Smith was thrice president, met in Philadelphia, Professor Bertrand, successor to Pasteur as head of the Pasteur Institute, found his way to the office. In perusing dealers' catalogs of old manuscripts in Paris, he said he had been considerably annoyed to be told, after having selected an item, that he was too l a t e i t had been sold to Monsieur Smith of Philadelphia. He said part of his object in coming ,to America was to see Monsieur Smith and his collection. He spent two afternoons in viewing it, and pronounced it one of the most interesting of which he had knowledge. He praised especially the items in regard to Madame Curie and Pasteur. Prince Conti of Italy, Dr. Ernst Cohen of the University of Utrecht, Sir James I ~ i n of e St. Andrews, and Professor Paul Sabatier of France visited us a t the same time. After Dr. Smith's death, the Library was presented to the University of Pennsylvania and generously endowed by his widow, Mrs. Margie A. Smith. I t is to her interest and self-sacrificing devotion that we owe the Library, which was opened to the public in March, 1931. Through the courtesy of the University authorities, it is housed in Dr. Smith's former offices in the John Harrison Laboratory of Chemistry. The collection in the history of chemistry consists of rare books, prints, and manuscripts of chemists of all ages and nationalities. Because of the close rela-
BOOKPLATE 01.SIRISAACNEWTON IN ELIAS ASHMOLE'S "Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum," LONDON,1652
tionship of chemistry to medicine and physics, it is fair to say that the collection drifts over the bordezline into medicine with Paracelsus and the iatro-chemists, and later into physics with Thomas Graham and others, one of our most recent acquisitions being autograph letters of Sir Oliver Lodge and Dr. Max Planck, Nobel Prize winner, acquired through the generosity of Dr. Cope of the department of physics. Among our treasures in chemistry is a copy of the "Alchemy" of Geber, the most distinguished of the Arabian alchemists, printed in Latin in 1545 and bound in vellum bearing a portion of an illuminated Latin hymn, taken perhaps from some old monastery. It has been carefully studied by an ancient scholar and bears many marginal notes in Latin. We have the first edition of "The Truth and Antiquity of Chemistry" by Robert Vallensis, published in Paris in 1561 in Latin italic type-riginal binding-forty-eight leaves in all. This book was the subject of an address by Dr. John Ferguson before the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow some years ago. He designated it as the first attempt a t a history of chemistry ever made. Of the particular edition which we have, he knew of but one which was in the British Museum. He said, "This is a book of the greatest rarity-it has possibly been easily destroyed because of its tiny dimensions." For this treasure we are indebted to Dr. Walter T. Taggart, of the University of Pennsylvania. Boerhaave's famous "Elements of Chemistry," originally appearing in 1724, is represented by several editions. We have the translation by Peter Shaw which, as was recently pointed out by Dr. Samuel S. Hepburn of Hahnemann Medical College, was used as a textbook in the course in chemistry given by Provost William Smith a t the University
of Pennsylvania in 1756. This book was so popular the pioneers of the science in America-James Woodthat it appeared in thirty-five editions, some of which house, Robert Hare, Joseph Priestley, Thomas Cooper, were spurious, being printed by Boerhaave's stndents Benjamin Silliman, and others. In staid New England for their own profit. To combat this he personally lived an American alchemist, John Winthrop, Jr., autographed all copies of the edition of 1732, one of Governor of Connecticut. It was of him that Ezra which is in our collection. "Theatrum Chemicum," Stiles, president of Yale University, wrote in his diary compiled by Elias Ashmole, published in London in on August 22, 1777: "Governor's Ring, a mountain 1652, is represented in a fine copy in original binding. in the N. W. Corner of East Haddam is the place to In this may be found the famous "Ordinall of Alchemy" which Governor Winthrop of New London, used to by Thomas Norton, and a poem by Chaucer dealing resort with his servant; and after spending three with the mysteries of alchemy. Our particular copy weeks in the woods of this mountain in roasting ores, was at one time a part of the library of Sir Isaac assaying metals and casting gold rings, he used to return home with oleutv of cold." What a deli~htful way to meet the 'defich we-hear about today! The purpose of the Smith Memorial Library is to supply source material t o those who are interested in writing upon various phases of the history of chemistry. Although the Library is young, we have been fortunate in establishing interesting contacts, supplying material to individuals and universities in this country and abroad for the preparation of books and papers. The students of the University of Pennsylvania enjoy the benefit of the material in that Dr. H. S. Lukens, director of the department of chemistry and chemical engineering, is using mnch of it to illustrate his lectures on the history of chemistty. It is our hope eventually to publish a catalog which will be distributed to universities and libraries so that those interested may know of the material which is available. The Library has recently been enriched by hundreds of rare books and prints purchased by Dr. Taggart in Europe and generously presented by him. Mr. Frederick E. Brasch, of the Library of Congress, has been kind enough personally to advise us in the work of cataloging. Dr. Charles A. Browne, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, one of the foremost historians in chemistry, visits the Library at intervals and has been generous in his donations to it. Although chemistry may be regarded by many of you as foreign to your immediate interests, it really is not so. "It comes close to every one's hearth and home. I t is of more immediate and useful application to the evervdav concerns of life--it ooerates more upon our h&G comforts than any otier branch of science whatsoever. In every employment we feel Newton, and hears his bookplate. The bookplate of its influence or want its aid." Lord Cornwallis appears in a learned tome by Bomare P As for the Library, in the time allotted me, I cannot published in 1768; and the autograph of Samuel describe the books and their authors to you. I have Taylor Coleridge, another poet fascinated by the grown up with them-I have learned to know them mysticism of alchemy, appears in Barchusen's "Ele- under the enthusiastic teachiig of the master, Edgar ments of Chemistry" published in 1718. There is a Fahs Smith, who, in the language of a learned critic beautiful copy of Agricola's "De re Metallica," which, as "put flesh on the skeletons of pioneers of the science, you know, was translated by Ex-President and Mrs. makimg them living, breathing personalities." They have become real people to me. They crowd in on Hoover in less trying days. When a comprehensive history of chemistry comes me and say, "Remember me, do not leave me outwto be written, and the r81e played in its development and it is hard for me to play favorites, particularly in by various nations is adequately portrayed, there is dealing with adepts of the black art-who knows what source material here for such a history which perhaps mischief might come of it! And so I can only cordially cannot he duplicated in any one place. We have invite you to come and see them, and assure you of a mnch material pertaining to the Colonial chemists, very hearty welcome.
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