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History of Science

Featured Items

Detail of a printed book shows a full-page map and text at the of the page reading "America."

Historia Mundi: or Mercator’s Atlas...

Gerhard Mercator
1635
Detail of a printed book shows a full-page colored illustration of a plant with insects on it. On the opposite page, text in Latin is visible.

Dissertatio de generatione et metamorphosibus insectorum Surinamensium

Maria Sibylla Merian
1719
Detail of gold JCB stamp on black binding.

Principall navigations, voiages, and discoveries of the English nation

Edward Wright
1598
Detail of a printed book shows text in English reading "Appendix" at the top of the page.

Medical Inquiries and Observations

Benjamin Rush
1789
Detail of manuscript diary shows childlike drawings of a house, a person, and a ship.

Diary of Captain Samuel Tillinghast

Samuel Tillinghast
1761-1766
Detail from a printed text shows questions and follow-up answers about astronomy.

An astronomical and geographical catechism. For the use of children.

Caleb Bingham
1795
Detail of a hand colored map, engraved in copper, shows Latin text.

Claudii Ptolemaei Cosmographaie [sic]

Ptolemy
1477
Detail from a printed book shows text in Spanish reading "Los aguacates es uno fruta en las Indias muy preciada, y medicinal."

Secretos de chirurgia

Pedro Arias de Benavides
1567

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photograph of John F López, assistant professor of art history at UC Davis, fellow at the John carter brown library for eight months
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John F. López, NEH Fellow

March 8, 2018
photograph of Jaime Marroquin, assistant professor of Spanish at western Oregon university
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Jaime Marroquín, Associates Fellow

January 16, 2018
19th century botanical guide by auguste de saint-hilaire

Plantes Usuelles des Brasiliens (Paris, 1824)

November 1, 2017
illustration of three large ships on water, people on river bank drag nets over the water

Entangled Histories of Empire and Science

October 12, 2017
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Mariana Françozo, Almeida Family/John M. Monteiro Memorial Fellow

October 12, 2017
cover of the experiential Caribbean by Pablo f Gómez
Our Fellows

Fresh Ink: The Experiential Caribbean

June 1, 2017
image of ginseng plant with details of its flower, seed, leaf, and root
Collections Up Close

Ginseng in Canada?

Chris Parsons August 1, 2008

See Also

Commodities and Food

18th Century