Method of marking up proof sheets; progress on building of windbreak wall, details of method of construction with ink sketches showing pier construction and position of completed wall in relation to road and kitchen garden.
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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
Method of marking up proof sheets; progress on building of windbreak wall, details of method of construction with ink sketches showing pier construction and position of completed wall in relation to road and kitchen garden.
Sending a copy of the "Life" (My Life, A Record of Events and Opinions, abridged one volume edition), Mr Waugh disappointed at small number taken by booksellers, 2 volume edition (1905) still being sold; invitation from the RI (Royal Institution of Great Britain) to give an evening lecture at the Jubilee of the Origin of Species next January, initially reluctant but now has some new ideas and has accepted provisionally, Crookes (Honorary Secretary) has offered to read on his behalf if necessary.
Doctor's Douglas Wood's report on William's health; sending a cheque; his own health improving; outline of lecture (for the Royal Institution) done, title to be The World of Life: As Visualised and Interpreted by Darwinism; wooden fence almost finished; proofs of index to Spruce book (Notes of a Botanist on the Amazon and Andes by Richard Spruce, ed. and condensed by ARW, Dec. 1908) only just arrived, six weeks after MS sent, so publication of book may be delayed; reading The Yellow Room, in the style of Gaborian, not as good as Sherlock Holmes; has decided O.M. means "Old Man"; sending book [My Life] to Benham today.
Request from Mrs Swinton for full names of William and his sister Violet, Aneurin Williams, barrister and a director of the "Garden City Company" her husband's executor, past correspondence about Mr Swinton's will on behalf of the Land Nationalisation Society, shares for William and Violet; arrival of the (Royal Society) Copley medals, one gold and one silver; letter from Lord Chancellor excusing ARW from personal attendance at the Investiture (of the Order of Merit); his own and William's health; progress of writing lecture (on Darwinism, for the Royal Institution).
Arrival of a cheque for £50 from the Royal Society, a bonus paid to Copley medallists; visit by artist Mr Strang deferred; visit by Mr Rann of Pall Mall Magazine with photographer, interview and display of medals; visit by Lady Wimborne re "Women's Liberal Club", spoke to her about Socialism; letter from H C Legge, secretary to the Order of Merit, re delivery of insignia.
Investiture and receipt of Order of Merit medal from Colonel Legge, describing documents and insignia in detail; conversation with Colonel Legge about his attendance on and drives around the English countryside with the German Emperor, the Emperor's love of England.
Giving the Royal Institution lecture, (for the Jubilee of Origin of Species) much easier than expected, audience of 800 people, resident Prof of Chemistry Sir James Dewar provided cocoa and sandwiches in his rooms afterwards; visit to the Museum (BMNH) to see Diplodocus, butterflies and New Guinea Bird of Paradise; visit by Sir William Preece and his son, discussion about William, his health, suggestion he learn signalling and try to get work in wireless telegraphy.
Sending copy of Pall Mall Magazine containing interview with and photos of ARW; description of Diplodocus skeleton at the Natural History Museum, donated by Carnegie; Birds of Paradise; meeting at NHM with Jordan and Rothschild who had brought some New Guinea butterflies for him to see, invitation from Rothschild to spend a week at Tring, may go in the summer; emergence of three small longicorn beetles from a clump of orchids sent from Buenos Ayres by John Hall, two caught and identified by British Museum as a species of Ibidion not in its collection; capture of a large orange and brown moth or butterfly which Rothschild thinks a Castnia, in the orchid house and a chrysalis on same orchid as the one harbouring the longicorns, has sent moth and chrysalis to Prof Poulton for the Oxford collection, amazement that the same plant should produce both a rare moth and beetle after a year in a greenhouse.
House alterations; Mr Sharpe's illness; William's college studies.
Writes regarding sending £20 for William's birthday; family health; arrival of a circular from college [Finsbury Technical College]; Violet going to Liverpool to interview for a teaching position in a girl's school, salary offered, advantages of living in Liverpool; ARW's purchase of Chambers' Encyclopaedia; new stamp album; ARW's article on "Inaccessible Valleys" in the Nineteenth Century, re-reading Lorna Doone; complete works of Dickens for Ma's (William's mother Annie Wallace) birthday and Scott's novels for Violet; Ponton's shilling pin-hole camera.
William D James, traveller, landowner and apparent gambler, ARW will write to Board of Trade for information; expects "Tracts" to be ready in about 6 months, will send William MS or proofs; incredulous at The Daily News reports of 100, 000 poor children at the palace as guests of the King and Queen which suggest they were offered only cake and lemonade, no proper meal for a whole day, asks William if he has seen fuller reports in The Times or The Standard, reluctance of people to criticise King and Queen.
Enclosing a notice of objection to William's vote (not present); suffering from rheumatism; railway strike, has written to Lloyd George urging him and Asquith to take over management of the railways by Royal Proclamation on the grounds of 70 years mismanagement, granting an amnesty to all strikers except for acts of violence, agreeing to their demands for one year while instituting an enquiry into reorganisation of the system first for the benefit of the public and the railway workers and lastly the shareholders, common knowledge that the workers grievances genuine, and cost of extra wages will be saved in safety, economy and public convenience; hopes for acknowledgement of letter soon; hopes William will enquire into the management of his Sanatorium and similar institutions.
Regarding Mr Crooke's behaviour towards William; enclosing a letter from his sister Violet (not present); mentioning Mr Stead and (spirit?) writing.
Includes a recent journey by William; Mac's health; William's preparations for a voyage to America, advice on his visiting Meldola and spending Sharpe's present of money; suggestion he visit the House of Commons to observe a session, enclosing cards (not present) of 2 members of the L.N. (Land Nationalisation) Society; regards to the Hayward's.
ARW talks of his hopes to work on new edition of Wonderful Century after five weeks of visitors; Carroll's Tangled Tales with amusing mathematical puzzles; mysterious drowning of neighbour Monica Briggs in local pond; "The Grange" not yet sold, some people interested in the "Colony" due to view it.
Discusses William viewing six or seven houses for sale near Tunbridge Wells and elsewhere, with details of locations and names of properties, comments on desirability, likely views, gardens, water supply and adjoining land; enclosing orders to view (not present) and a list of essential requirements (not present); report to be sent promptly so that Ma (William's mother Annie Wallace) may view any suitable.
Writes of William's visit to Silchester; houses for sale; disappointment over Compton house; importance of an attractive view; description of a promising property near Beaconsfield; Carter's price restrictions, possibility of Mr Tebb's investing; returning with notes William's article on Badbury Diggings, if rewritten and photos supplied might suit Pearson or Cassell; Roman Britain, Roman coins.
Asks William to purchase some aluminium sheet suitable for plant labels as ARW's copper ones too thin and brittle; visit by Mr Stead.
Instructions to view "The Grange", Beaconsfield, if possible with his sister Violet; enclosing viewing order, a map and a letter from Mr Gurney (none of these present), with instructions for journey by train or bicycle; price of £30,000 may be too high for Carter but Tebb, Swinton or others may invest.
Discusses William's letter of December 16th [1898] and his plans for winter in America, advice to go south to New Mexico; comments on his news of Mac; Mac's coal-measuring machine; plans for electric tram from Bournemouth to Poole, ARW objects to line through Parkstone; no electric light at Parkstone; damage to garden when drains connected; disadvantages of growing under glass; American papers Coming Nation, American Fabian and The Commonwealth; The Clarion, McGinnis, Robert Blatchford; plans to start work in about a years time on new edition of Wonderful Century and to start autobiography soon; Violet at the Schulz's, enclosing some verses by her and a card from her showing villages near Pössneck (neither present).