HUMBOLDT, Baron Alexander von (1769-1859)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0402 AVH
Held at	: Royal Geographical Society   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Collections/Collections.htm ›
Full title	: HUMBOLDT, Baron Alexander von (1769-1859)
Date(s)	: 1783-1848
Level of description	: Collection level
Extent	: 2 boxes and 3 files
Name of creator(s)	: Humboldt | Baron | Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr | von | 1769-1859 | German naturalist and explorer

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born in Berlin, 1769; educated, Freiberg Academy of Mines under the famous geologist A.G. Werner; hiked around Europe with George Forester, Captain James Cook's scientific illustrator from his second voyage; government mines inspector in Franconia, Prussia, 1792-1800; expedition with botanist Aime Bonpland in South America, 1800-1803; lived in France, 1804-1827; King of Prussia's advisor, 1827-; invited to make geographical explorations of Russia by the tsar: discovered permafrost and recommended that Russia establish weather observatories across the country which were set up in 1835; gave public lectures in Berlin, 1827-1828; Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, 1856-1859, died, 1859.

Publications: Kosmos (1845)

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of Baron A von Humboldt, 1783-1848, including letter from Paris, May 1835, to Francois Arago; facsimile of a letter from Sans Souci, 12 Aug 1848, to A K Johnston and five small geographical drawings, done at the age of 16 years.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

As outlined in Scope and Content.

Conditions governing access:

Accessed via the Foyle Reading Room. Free of charge for Fellows, Members and those with valid academic identification. All other users pay a charge and must bring identification in order to register on arrival.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Photocopying at the discretion of the Archivist and subject to completion of 'application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without permission of the RGS-IBG Archivist.

Finding aids:

Hand list and card index.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Unknown.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Prepared by an archives volunteer using existing finding aids. Revised by Sarah Drewery.

Rules or conventions:
ISAD(G) ed.2, name authority NRA.

Date(s) of descriptions:
19 November 2001; Oct 2008.