THE EDGAR FAHS SMITH MEMORIAL COLLECTION, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA EVAARMSTRONG, CURATOR
The Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Collection in the History of Chemistry, which has been endowed by Mrs. Smith a t the University of Pennsylvania,
comprises a library of rare books and reprints on chemistry; engravings and portrait prints of chemists; and a collection of autograph letters and manuscripts, pronounced by Professor Bertrand, of the Pasteur Institute, as one of the most interesting of which he had knowledge. 652
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
A m n , 1932
Dr. Smith's interest in the past of his science led him to collect these items as a form of recreation during the years when he was engaged with professorial and administrative duties. He frequently referred to this particular activity as a "playground." The hooks begin with the productions of the alchemists in the sixteenth century, many being in the original bindings and containing numerous woodcuts and engravings. Some have interesting bookplates, as, for instance, Elias Ashmole's "Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum" (1652), with the bookplate of Sir Isaac Newton. Many are annotated and contain inscriptions on the fly-leaves. Coming down to later days there is the first volume of the "Memoirs of the Columhian Chemical Society of Philadelphia," one of the earliest chemical societies in the world. There are many rare engravings among the portrait prints. There are autograph letters of Lavoisier, Priestley, Berzelius, Mosander, Liebig, Dalton, Davy, Pastenr, and Curie, about 600 in all. Among these is a fragment of a Russian manuscript written by Mendelbeff, presented to Dr. Smith by Madame Mendelbeff. The purpose of the endowment is to make the collection useful to those interested in the history of chemistry. It was opened to the public on March 1, 1931, and since that time numerous requests from chemists of this country and abroad for copies of prints, facsimiles of letters, and biographical data have been filled. A complete catalog of the material is in course of preparation. In this work Dr. F. A. Brasch, secretary of the History of Science Society, and chief of the Smithsonian Division of tge Library of Congress, has been kind enough to act as advisor. We hope eventually to publish the catalog. Since March, 1931, gifts of more than 300 books, reprints, and portrait prints have been received, the principal donors being Dr. C. A. Browne, of Washington, D. C., Dr. Walter T. Taggart, of the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. F. E. Brasch. In addition to these gifts, a sum amounting to approximately $S000.00 has been received from a group of chemists in New York City, to be used in advancing the interests of the collection. The authorities of the University of Pennsylvania have generously cooperated in making possible the work of the endowment, and have housed the collection in the rooms which Dr. Smith formerly occupied in the Harrison Laboratory of Chemistry. The curator will he happy to cooperate with any who may he interested in consulting the collection.
