Meteorite Manuscripts

Autographs and old books can create an indescrible link to the past.  Holding a letter or a book written by a scientist can provide insight into moments of great discovery. The feel of the paper, the look of the ink, and the nature of the script can mysteriously transport the reader back into time for a few moments to experience the nature of scientific pursuit. 

Scientists by their very nature have to communicate with one another, to replicate experiments, and to publish their results.  It is this "paper trail" that presents the collector of scientific autographs with intruiging puzzles, which beg to be solved.

Letters often mention a meeting between two scientists,  a reference to investigations, or a specimen of one type or another.  What did the scientists discuss when they met?  Was the investigation ever published?  Was the specimen ever sent and where is it today?  

Answers to such questions can often be obtained with a little research, by knowing where to look, and what references to consult. The answers can provide and enormous amount of satisfaction, when the riddle of each letter can be solved.

Meteorite Manuscripts

Meteorite Manuscripts is a gallery of autographs and books from the collection of Mark Grossman, independent researcher and writer.  Although his collection covers most areas of science, he has a particular interest in the history of meteoritics, and one section of this site is devotely soley to this subject.   

Part of the fun of collecting autographs is sharing the experience with others, and I hope that you will enjoy the letters and books displayed on the various pages of this site.  Some are works in progress, the research still underway.  Others have been studied extensively.  Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments. 

And of course, the fine print -- all of the images and text are copyrighted, and cannot be reproduced or distributed without written permission. 

       Enjoy!  

Mark Grossman, Independent Researcher and Writer   

If you would like to be notified when new documents are added to the site, use the links below to follow Meteorite Manuscripts.

Copyright © M.I. Grossman

Alexander Humboldt's letter of recommendation written for British chemist Smithson Tennant when he visited Paris in 1815.  The two men discussed meteorites.  For the full story, obtain a free downloand of M. I. Grossman, 'Smithson Tennant: Meteorites and the final trip to France', Notes & Records of the Royal Society 61 (2007), pp. 265-283

Latest News

If you think that the Mooresfort meteorite is historic, wait until you read the article by M. I. Grossman to see just how historic it really is!  It led to one of the greatest battles in the history of chemistry, that is, the debate between William Higgins and John Dalton over priority for the atomic theory.  The article will appear in the December issue of Notes & Records of the Royal Society.  Prior to publication, obtain a free download of the article until November 30, 2010 from the FirstCite webpage of Notes & Records.  Link for the download is  M. I. Grossman, 'William Higgins at the Dublin Society, 1810-1820: the loss of a professorship and a claim to the atomic theory'.

See newest addition on Autograph page - CDV signed by Benjamin Silliman!