No summary available.
Showing 1–20 of 63 items
The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was one of the world's most important scientists. His seminal contributions to biology rival those of his friend and colleague Charles Darwin, though he is far less well known. Together Wallace and Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection in 1858, and their prolific subsequent work laid the foundations of modern evolutionary biology, and much more besides.
Wallace made enduring scholarly contributions to subjects as diverse as glaciology, land reform, anthropology, ethnography, epidemiology, and astrobiology. His pioneering work on evolutionary biogeography (the science that seeks to explain the geographical distribution of organisms) led to him becoming recognised as that subject’s ‘father’. Beyond this Wallace is regarded as the pre-eminent collector and field biologist of tropical regions of the 19th century, and his book The Malay Archipelago (which was Joseph Conrad’s favourite bedside reading) is one of the most celebrated travel writings of that century and has never been out of print. Wallace was a man with an extraordinary breadth of interests who was actively engaged with many of the big questions and important issues of his day. He was anti-slavery, anti-eugenics, anti-vivisection, anti-militarism, anti-Imperialism, a conservationist and an advocate of woman's rights. He strongly believed in the rights of the ordinary person, was a socialist, an anti-vaccinationist (for rational reasons), and a believer in naturalistic, evolutionary spiritualism. He did not come from a privileged background and was largely self-taught. For a brief biography see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/mini-biography
The Wallace Correspondence Project (WCP) was founded by George Beccaloni in 2010. Its aims are to locate, digitise, catalogue, transcribe, interpret and publish Wallace's surviving correspondence and other manuscripts. About 5,700 letters to and from Wallace are currently known to survive, and they are held by c. 240 institutions and individuals worldwide. Wallace's letters are a biographical treasure trove, which provides a far better picture of the 'real' Wallace than his heavily edited and censored published writings (e.g. his autobiography My Life (1905) and his letters in Marchant's Letters and Reminiscences (1916)). For example, Wallace never even mentions his wife's name (Annie) in any of his published writings, including his autobiography. The letters are also key to gaining a deeper understanding of his scientific and other work: how and why his ideas arose, and how they evolved over time.
The WCP is unlocking this valuable resource by gathering all the letters together for the first time, and transcribing them so that they can be more easily read and information within them discovered using electronic searches for words and phrases. The vast amount of unpublished information which is coming to light will surely form the basis for numerous articles, scholarly papers, PhD theses and perhaps the first definitive biography.
Epsilon is being used by the WCP's as its online archive of Wallace's correspondence. It replaces our previous archive, Wallace Letters Online, which was last updated in 2015. The process of editing the transcripts and associated metadata is a work in progress which will take many years to complete. Our project’s policy is, however, to make the information we have available to users at the earliest possible opportunity, even if it is incomplete and/or imperfect. For a guide to our data, including the protocols we use for metadata and transcriptions, please see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
Dora Best painting a portrait of ARW, possibly for sending to the Royal Academy; no more news about the Beaconsfield affair except that Prof Barrett and Dr Abraham Wallace will join it; William's sister Violet and May Swinton leaving tomorrow; beginning work on new edition of Wonderful Century; Mr Casey's latest enigma; reading Julie.
Work on new edition of Wonderful Century, will leave chapter on electricity until last; answer to latest (newspaper) enigma; watch repairs; William's holiday and Fellowship dinner (in America); winter weather; plot and character in The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of Hentza [sic, for Hentzau. Both by Anthony Hope].
No summary available.
Decision to buy 3 acres of land for £500 at Broadstone, Dorset, and build there, giving detailed descriptions of locality, soil, trees in old orchard, and views of Poole harbour and the Purbeck hills, enclosing a sketch plan (not present - possiblyWP1/1/118, 121 or 123); former Broadstone resident Miss Broughton has recommended a gardener and labourer; plans to build a road and wire fence, begin a garden immediately and start building in spring; promises to send plans of house soon.
William's proposed visit during his holidays; ARW working since Christmas on new editions of Wonderful Century, Darwinism, and Island Life the latter requiring much correspondence to correct lists of flora and fauna; also working on a Wonderful Century reader, trouble with illustrations; has also been looking at estates and feels one between Tunbridge Wells and East Grinstead suitable, Mr Swinton to see it tomorrow; Rose (Mitten) and Grandpa (William Mitten) staying, visiting the Caseys; Rose's health; encloses I.L.P. News containing ARW's article on Tolstoy, sorry to hear Tolstoy ill.
Insurance, with instructions for applying for a birth certificate; enclosing ground plan of property (at Broadstone) - not present, possibly WP1/1/120; describing plans to build a house including 5 bedrooms and a study, larger than needed but for the future benefit of William and his sister Violet, description of other rooms, proposed gabling and windows, use of perforated zinc over hollow walls and site of hot water storage tank; proposes a picnic in the grounds at Christmas if William can visit; has been surveying the land; reckons cost of house at £1000; discusses possibility of selling "Nutwood Cottage" (at Godalming) to current tenant vs. selling Parkstone house; asks for comments on plans as working drawings soon to be made; sorry William's séance did not go well; asks him to bring an air-rifle to shoot rabbits or stray pheasants at Christmas, ordinary rifle might attract game-keepers.
Near completion of purchase of (Broadstone) property, road making, fencing and gardening can now begin; Carter's head builder to draw up preliminary house plans; ARW expects definite offer for "Nutwood" (Cottage, Godalming) next week and will also put up "For Sale" sign at Parkstone house; has designed two gates on proper mechanical principles; if work slack at William's firm after Christmas he might take leave and supervise "Ellerslie" [proposed name for new house]; Sends tracing of upper floor plan (not present) and rough tracing of Ordnance map showing ground and access from Poole road.
Adoption of William's suggested alterations to house plans, architect Mr Donkin recommends a cheaper substitute for plaster; wooden ceilings; plan and elevations to be ready before Christmas; letter from Mac written from ship bound for South Africa; ARW recovering from bronchitis; plans to sink a well as connection to mains water expensive; over one thousand trees and shrubs including roses, filberts, cherries, apples and rhododendrons bought at nursery sale, some for as little as 3 pence.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
No summary available.
Arrangements for her, the Dodd's of Tunbridge Wells and the Shaw's to view a house between Mayfield and Wadhurst which ARW is considering buying jointly with Mr Shaw; sending a small stag-beetle.