American Philosophical Society Library

Resources (16)

• In addition, the library holds the following miscellaneous items:

  a) 16 letters from or about the Imperial Academy of Sciences (1785–1911, but most are in the 19th c.), some copies, all 1–4 pp. These letters appear in the catalogue under "Saint Petersburg. Academie Imperiale des Sciences."

  b) 45 letters, 1789–1910, copied from a microfilm, in a collection listed as "Letters of Scientists. Moscow..." Among the scientists are Benjamin Franklin, Cleveland Abbe, F. G. W. Struve (?), Aleksandr Nikolaevich Veselovsky, Thomas H. Huxley, Alexander Ross Clarke, Sir William Herschel, John Churchman, Joseph Henry, Mr. Radsoff, A. Belopolsky, John Couch Adams, Lewis Boss, John Murray Mitchell, Dr. Rost, J. O. Backlund, Abraham Valentine Williams Jackson, and Carl Salemann.

  c) 7 letters to the American Philosophical Society from the Corps of Mining Engineers, 1841–55, all but 1 forwarding publications; the other forwards magnetic and meteorological observations made in the Russian Empire in 1846. These are listed in the catalogue under "Russia. Corps des Ingenieurs des Mines" and "Saint Petersburg. Corps des Ingenieurs des Mines Etat-Major (du)."

  d) 5 letters listed under "Russia (or Saint Petersburg). Observatoire physique central (Nicolas)" dated 1851–97, all to the American Philosophical Society, on exchanging publications.

  e) 2 letters to John L. Le Conte from the Russian Entomological Society, 1861.

  f) 1 letter to the American Philosophical Society from the Imperial Botanical Gardens, 1876, forwarding publications (under "Saint Petersburg. Jardin imperiale de botanique").

  Note: A large number of the above letters are in French; many are printed but filled in in manuscript.

• John Vaughan

  A document from 1822, in the hand of John Vaughan, an early Librarian, relating to "Russian literature" and/or books from or about Russia.

• Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

  Papers, ca. 1700–1790, 78 ft. Statesman, inventor, scientist, writer, and printer. Contains some material pertaining to relations with Russia.

• Benjamin Smith Barton (1766-1815)

  Papers, ca. 1795–1815, 9 ft. Includes some material concerning early Russian-American relations.

• Conway Zirkle (b. 1895)

  Papers, 1,600 items. Botanist. 2 of 3 boxes contain correspondence, printed matter, and other material that relate to Soviet genetics, the controversy surrounding Trofim Denisovich Lysenko, and Zirkle's own book on this subject: Death of a Science in Russia (1949). Many clippings and translations of newspaper items concern the Soviet rejection of Mendel-Morgan genetics, their support of Michurin's biological ideas, and the Ail-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences. There is a copy of Sir Henry Dale's resignation from the USSR Academy of Sciences 22 November 1948 (over the Lysenko affair) and also excerpts from a letter of J. Coyne Mossige to L. C. Dunn about the visit of a "cultural delegation" from the USSR to Norway and a lecture by Professor V. N. Stoletov. Reprints of writings of L. C. Dunn, H. J. Muller, Theodosius Dobzhansky, and N. I. Vavilov concern the decline of Soviet science. Other persons and subjects noted in the papers include E. M. Chekmenev (Checkmenev), L. Davitashvili, S. F. Demidov, Albert Deutsch, Elena Dimitrova, I. E. Glushchenko, S. Kaftanov, M. B. Mitin, V. S. Nemchinov, I. I. Prezent, Brian Roberts, I. I. Schmalhause, I. F. Vasilenko, V. M. Yudin, V. Zhuravsky, Russian medicine, and Soviet science and technology. (NUCMC 76–960)

• Isadore Michael Lerner (1910-1977)

  Papers, 1945–77, over 1,500 items. Geneticist, closely involved with Soviet genetics. Some correspondence concerns a visit to the United States in 1967 by a group of Soviet geneticists. He later translated Zhores Medvedev's Rise and Fall of T. D. Lysenko. Several items relate to his translation and work with Medvedev. There is also correspondence with Anton R. Zhebrak, the Byelorussian delegate to the UN Conference in San Francisco in 1945, concerning improved relations between Soviet and American geneticists. A table of contents, 4 pp., lists various correspondents, etc. (NUCMC 76–915)

• Jan Potocki (1761-1815)

  Journal, 1797–98, 1 vol. (plus addition). Polish historian, archaeologist, and traveler. The count journeyed to Russia 1797–98, in part to search for traces of the ancient Scythians. His journal, entitled "Voyage dans les steps d'Astrakhan et du Caucase... Histoire primitive des peuples qui ont habite anciennement ces contrees," 437 pp. The German orientalist and traveller, Heinrich Julius Klaproth, edited and published the account under the same title in 1829, 2 vols. Along with the journal is some corollary material photocopied from Polish archives. (NUCMC 62–3386, part of Papers on Travel and Exploration)

• John Lindsay, Earl of Crawford (1702-1749)

  Military journals and papers, 1691–1739, 3 vols. British soldier. Includes his journal of a voyage from the Thames to Russia and of campaigning with the Russian Army, 1738–39. The account includes 1 map and 25 plates, mostly plans of battlefields, 2 vols.

• Journal de la campagne de l'armee russe contre la Turquie, 1737-1739

  An anonymous "Journal de la campagne de l'armee russe contre la Turquie, 1737–1739" contains also marching orders, plus (bound together) "Relation des operations de la campagne... 1738... par Chev. de Forrester" and "Initium diary... June 24, 1738September 5, 1739," in German. (NUCMC 62–3386)

• Leslie Clarence Dunn (1893-1974)

  Papers, 1930–74, ca. 10,000 items. Professor of genetics at Columbia University. Traveled to the USSR in 1927. He remained actively interested in Soviet genetic controversies, especially the Lysenko affair. Correspondence and other papers relate to American-Soviet scientific contacts, the T. D. Lysenko controversy, and national or international meetings of scientists. Table of contents, 58 pp., lists correspondents, etc. (NUCMC 69–1371)

• Miers Fisher, Jr. (1787-1813)

  Papers, 1808–13, 2 vols. Includes 1 vol. of correspondence to Miers Fisher, Sr., from Spain and Russia, 200 letters, 1808–13; and the son's account of a trip to northern Europe, including Russia, 1809–10.

• Princess E. R. Dashkova

  Correspondence with Princess E. R. Dashkova and Pavel Petrovich Svin'in.

• Richard Joel Russell (1895-1971)

  Papers, 3,000 items. Geographer and geologist. He attended an International Geological Congress in Moscow in 1937. Among his papers are notes he took while in attendance at the meeting.

• Russia, Poulkova

  A microfilm from the collections of the Royal Society of London, listed under "Russia, Poulkova," apparently concerns the famous astronomical observatory at Pulkovo.

• Stephen Girard (1750-1831)

  Papers, 1780–1831, 57,000 items, ca. 650 reels of microfilm. Early Philadelphia merchant and banker. Includes considerable material on commerce with Russia, including manifests of merchandise. Originals in the Girard College Library in Philadelphia.

• Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975)

  Papers, ca. 8,000 items and ca. 35 notebooks. Russian-born American geneticist. Expert on population genetics, evolution, and the origin of species. Includes his papers "Crisis of Soviet Biology" and "Concerning holes in academic gowns." There are many Russian/Soviet names in the unpublished list of papers and correspondents, 13 pp.