| | 21 | Author: | Lea, Isaac, 1792-1886 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Isaac Lea journals, 1832, 1852-1853
| | | | Dates: | 1832-1853 | | | | Abstract: | Isaac Lea was a Philadelphia based geologist and publisher. He was primarily a publisher, founding the firm Lea and Febiger, which had its origins in Matthew Carey's publishing house. Isaac married Carey's daughter Frances Anne in 1821. Always interested in science, in 1851, after retiring from the day-to-day operations of his printing firm, he dedicated his time to geology and other scientific interests. This collection contains the journals of Isaac Lea's trips to Europe in 1832 and 1852-53. Lea traveled to Europe to become acquainted with European ideas and methods, although both trips – especially the earlier one – included much sightseeing. Very much a gentleman scientist, Lea gained wide-respect for his knowledge and work, earning an honorary doctorate from Harvard. These travel journals provide insight into some of the people and practices he encountered in Europe that may have shaped his ideas about science.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.L462 | | | | Extent: | 16 volume(s) | | | | Topics: | American Revolution | Americans Abroad | Military History | Printing and Publishing | Science and technology | | | | Genre: | Art | Sketchbooks | Travel Narratives and Journals | | | | Subjects: | Naturalists. | |
| 22 | Author: | Lesley, J. P. (J. Peter), 1819-1903 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | J.P. Lesley Papers
| | | | Dates: | 1826-1898 | | | | Abstract: | J.P. Lesley was a prominent Pennsylvanian who became a leading geologist. This collection contains a range of materials that relate to his life. The content of the correspondence is not just scientific. Instead, subjects span a wide-range of topics, including European travel, the Civil War, politics, art, literature, personal affairs, and family matters. The papers also reflect Lesley wide-ranging scientific interests. Although a geologist, Lesley also dabbled in demographic studies, religion, and philology. A fair amount of the collection is from the 1850s and beyond. Much of this early correspondence is among family members, but some letters are from prominent reformers, such as Lydia Maria Child. Among the Lesley papers are poems, journals, and notebooks. Two boxes date from 1841 to 1851, which, notably, deal with the period before Lesley became a full-time geologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.L56 | | | | Extent: | 7.75 Linear Feet | | | | Topics: | Americans Abroad | International Travel | Literature, Arts, and Culture | Marriage and Family Life | | | | Genre: | Family Correspondence | General Correspondence | Literature | Scientific Data | Travel Narratives and Journals | | | | Subjects: | Abolition, emancipation, freedom | Avesta | Cartography. | Charities -- United States. | Education -- United States | Egyptian language -- Writing, Hieroglyphic | France -- Description and travel | Funeral rites and ceremonies -- Egypt | Geological Survey of Pennsylvania | Geology -- Maps | Geology -- Nova Scotia -- Surveys | Geology -- Pennsylvania | Germany -- Description and travel | Hawaiian language | Javanese language | Nova Scotia -- Surveys | Obelisks | Paleontology -- Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania -- Surveys | Philology | Poems | Slavery -- United States. | Social conditions, social advocacy, social reform | Switzerland -- Description and travel | Transcendentalism | Unitarianism | |
| 24 | Author: | Short, William (1759-1849) | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | William Short correspondence, 1787-1838
| | | | Dates: | 1787-1838 | | | | Abstract: | This large and rich collection of American diplomat William Short touches on matters personal and political. William Short sought, unsuccessfully, to marry the Duchess La Rochefoucauld. These letters chronicle this failed courtship. LaRouchefoucauld's correspondence also discusses the tumultuous events of the French Revolution, as told through the eyes of a wealthy noble. Short served as Jefferson's private secretary in France, and because of that, some of the early correspondence provides insight on the American delegation in France. The correspondence is largely in French, but the APS has an English translation of most of the documents. In addition to the Short-LaRouchefoucauld correspondence, there are letters from other prominent Frenchmen.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.Sh83 | | | | Extent: | 0.25 Linear Feet | | | | Topics: | Americans Abroad | Diplomatic History | Marriage and Family Life | Social Life and Custom | | | | Genre: | Diplomatic Material | |
| 26 | Author: | Bancker, James A. | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | James A. Bancker papers, 1842-1849
| | | | Dates: | 1842-1849 | | | | Abstract: | This collection of letters (40+) consists primarily of James Bancker writing to his family from Asia in the 1840s. The collection offers a vivid depiction of an American's life abroad in the nineteenth century. The letters convey quotidian information, such as the type of food he is eating, to more remarkable events, such as witnessing a comet. Bancker also witnessed a number of significant political events while in China, including the acquisition of Hong Kong by Great Britain and resistance to this takeover from the Hong Kong residents (1842-1843). These events, the rioting in particular, are recounted in his often long and detailed correspondence to his Philadelphia-based family. Bancker spent much of his time in Canton, but he also described visits to the Philippines and voyage to and from China. Combined, the collection provides a lens in the experiences of a wealthy American traveling abroad in the midst of the nineteenth century.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.B22 | | | | Extent: | 0.25 Linear Feet | | | | Topics: | Americans Abroad | Beyond Early America | Business and Skilled Trades | International Trade. | International Travel | Marriage and Family Life | Trade | Travel | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | Family Correspondence | General Correspondence | | | | Subjects: | Americans -- China -- Social life and customs. | British -- China -- Social life and customs -- 1644-1912. | Voyages and travels. | |
| 30 | Author: | Franklin, William Temple, 1760-1823 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | William Temple Franklin Papers
| | | | Dates: | 1775-1819 | | | | Abstract: | This is a large collection of William Temple Franklin papers, most of which were written while he was serving alongside his grandfather in France as the secretary of the American mission there. The bulk of the collection is correspondence written to William Temple Franklin during the American Revolution. Franklin had a wide network of friends and associates, and this correspondence captures the range of dealings Franklin had in France. As secretary, he received intelligence, requests, reports of military actions, especially those pertaining to naval actions in the Atlantic, and various other communications. As a private individual, Franklin had relations with many merchants, traders, and land speculators and continued to cultivate these relationships while in Europe. The Collection also includes a diary kept in an almanac for much of 1785, catalogued separately in MOLE.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.F86 | | | | Extent: | 4.75 Linear Feet | | | | Topics: | American Revolution | Americans Abroad | Business and Skilled Trades | Diplomatic History | International Travel | Land and Speculation | Marriage and Family Life | Military History | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | Diplomatic Material | Family Correspondence | General Correspondence | Political Correspondence | | | | Subjects: | Balloons -- Early works to 1800 | Mesmerism | |
| 34 | Author: | Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Benjamin Franklin Papers, 1642-1841
| | | | Dates: | 1642-1841 | | | | Abstract: | The Papers of Benjamin Franklin are a rich source as varied and expansive as Dr. Franklin's storied life. The Collection has been calendared, catalogued, and much of it is transcribed in printed volumes and online at www.franklinpapers.org.
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| | | | Call #: | Mss.B.F85 | | | | Extent: | 85.5 Linear Feet | | | | Topics: | American Revolution | Americans Abroad | Business and Skilled Trades | Diplomatic History | Government Affairs | International Travel | Land and Speculation | Marriage and Family Life | Military History | Pennsylvania History | Printing and Publishing | Social Life and Custom | | | | Genre: | Business Records and Accounts | Diplomatic Material | Family Correspondence | General Correspondence | Manuscript Essays | Political Correspondence | Printed Material | Scientific Correspondence | | | | Subjects: | Abolition, emancipation, freedom | Electricity -- Early works to 1800 | Postal service -- United States | Printers -- Pennsylvania | Slaves, slavery, slave trade | Social conditions, social advocacy, social reform | |
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