[Clipped to the letter, mostly in Abby's hand, except for the part by Charlotte]Please send to
Dr. Beryl Paige, 625 West 165th St., New York CityMrs. J. W. Giddings, 54 Concord St., Nashua, N.H. (she's moved but I haven't the new address.) Will Jessee please keep this, as I have no other account.
* D. Elizabeth! -
If Mary is motoring in the Rocky Mountains now, the letter may get lost or at any rate delayed. Don't you think this letter go straight on to Dr. Paige? Mary can see it in the fall.
Charlotte[End of clipping; beginning of letter on German letterhead]
The Second International Congress of the History of Science and Technology was most unlike any Congress I have ever been at in that there were no really technical papers at all. There was however an atmosphere of the history of science which was most interesting, even thrilling. I shall have to follow the days' program in order not to forget things, for even now there isn't time to do a real "composition" about it.
The first meeting June 29 was in a big lecture room at the Royal Geographical Society out in South Kensington, near the Science museum which was headquarters. There may have been 300-400 people there - it was not a large congress, but it was truly international, with delegates froma bout 20 countries. There was an address of welcome from the Minister for Education, who was until recently Postmaster General. He talked of the speed with which history is being made in science, the opening of telephone lines (only much is wireless!) to Australia, the sending of pictures by wireless and such things. Then the delegates were presented to the Minister and his wife and to the President of the Congress, Professor Charles Singer, and his wife. We marched up as our contries were called and a loud-voiced secretary read our names and institutions from the program. Then Pres. Singer gave a little speech in which he quoted from his litle daughter's history text-book the wars and so on mentioned for 1660-1690 and then listed himself what ought to have been there of scientific discovery for that period. It was an amazing contrast.
Then we sped away to a tea at the Science Museu, where the first Lord and Lady of our series received us - the Director, Sir Henry Lyons. That was simple and brief, no formalities at all. I found two American women, Dena Stimson of Goucher, daughter of our trustee Dr. Stimson of N.Y. and cousin of the Sec. of State, and an Oberlin Zool. person, Hope Hibbard. Dean Stimson has been over allyear on a Guggenheim working in the field of the history of science, particularly one Wilkins, one of the founders of the Royal Society. She showed me lots of things during the week - altogether I enjoyed her a great deal. Hope Hibbard was with the Cambridge Needhams much of the time. They are young and energetic. He made that chart of the history of physiology on our stairs, you know, and was on the Com. for the Congress.
The first evening Prof. and Mrs. Singer gave a reception at the Royal Society of Medicine - the one founded if I remember around the latter half of the 17th Cent. We have in the M.H.C. library that fine history of its founding by Spratt. For entertainment a man named Andrade (sp?) gave a lecture on air pressure - old air pumps &c as it would have been given in the early days, using the real old apparatus and experiments actually performed. No lights save candles which were lighted and put out by his "man Jack" a dozen times as the exper. required. He was in costume, and the phraseology was à la Pepys' diary. It was rich - also instructive. All these teas and receptions had rather elegant things to eat, but I can't stop to describe them - only I must remark that they mostly had out their "old plate" - wonderful great silver things given them by royalty and famous persons. I now understand what folks mean by the silver and gold these old organizations may have possessed. Much went during the wars of the Cromwell time. All the organizations which received us had out, also, wonderful manuscripts and relics, like the original list of members of the Royal Society, the original drawings in Malpighi's works, most of which the R. S. published, and such things. Rare as rare - and wonderful to see.
Tuesday we had a morning session concerned with the relation of science to general history, rather general, but along in the middle introducing the Russians. Several Russians came - by aeroplane - and they were a mixture of real scientists and red propagandists. Two of the latter butted into the first program, to the effect that there was need of considering not only the history of capitalism (the usual type of history) and the history of science, but also the growth of Marxian doctrines and communism. Wonderful for the press! But after that meeting which was presided over by a gentle Italian who spoke almost no English and couldn't manage the time, the Russians were kept down (except for the real ones) until a special session made for them and other overflows and thinly attended. One of them was said to be a bad one - I don't really know, Bukharin by name.
Lunch that day at a small party entertained by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, at a huge round table in a library. The old Chancellor had robes on - he is a theological person - He said grace - "Benedictus, benedicus". I sat cheerfully between the Secretary and the Treasurer's first assistant (our terms - I forget theirs) both grand persons. Oh, it was a great occasion! On the way Dean Stimson took me a moment to the War Museum where we saw the activities of the King listed for 1914-1918 - one item, travelling 50,000 miles! We had time for nothing more save a few posters urging enlistment, &c. But the memories came back. There was tea at Royal Society, where F. G. Hopkins is Pres. & where the exhibits included old list of members, etc. - we went to the British Museum to see a wonderful series of the early books - 17th Cent Harvey included - which Prof. Singer talked about. And we walked by the Ms. of the Magna Charta to get to 'em - not to mention all the things we couldn't even wink at. There really was tea somewhere - and I can't remember where! In the evening there was a reception at the Royal Institution pres. now Sir Gowland Hopkins where Faraday and Sir Humphrey Davy and other famous physicists have worked. Sir Wm Bragg is now director and he reproduced for us some of the experiments done there - a delightful lecture in a famous place - light and electricity. I wish there were time to set down some of the experiments!
Wednesday we went on an excursion by train to Cambridge. One conversation was with the Rochester Corners, such delightful people. And all along there were bits of talk with Dr. Wm Welch, and Prof. Karl Sudhoff of Berlin was like Pavlov at the Boston meetings. And Diepgen and a charming daughter have recently gone from Freiburg to Berlin, and know my Professor and Frau Geiges - and there was a man named Clay who showed old microscopes the first night. Leeuwenhoek worked with a simple lens hardly bigger than a pinhead. I saw one of his here today in Munich at the Deutsches Museum - all focussed so you could see the markings on diatoms. Mr. Clay's collection is a wonderful one. - And a man named Thurston who owns two places in Kent and who was something important in the air force - was married in St. Martins-in-the-Fields - is a member of the Author's Club was at the opening of the Panama Canal, and knew Ambassador Page &c - he was a frequent friend. Also a Mr. Addey, who has made a telescope and of whom more anon - oh, there were so many folks, and interesting ones. Oh, yes, a Mr. Calvin Rice, American, who is an engineer, knew "Sam Wellman" - Elliott Whitlock a good friend - know him, Jessee? He's in international education and Y.M.C.A. I think.
Cambridge. A trip through various colleges - but I've seen them better before. The guide was n.g. But lunch at Caius College! How does that make you feel, Charlotte? No speeches. The Harvey portrait in the Combination Room has been cleaned and lighted. The Congress picture was taken in one court of Caius. We saw some wonderful ms. there. Then to Dr. Hopkins' lab., shown around in detail by Dr. Needham - a big place, full of workers, many kinds of research. Also to a Parasitology Lab. where Prof. Nuttall made us quite a speech. - In the evening Myra Sampson and I went to a theatre, Four Walls & ... Lyme, a lively farce, "Turkey Time." Almost too funny - but it was funny!
Thurs. The morning session was the best of the sessions - really vitalism vs mechanism, with J. S. Haldane and a man named Russell (awfully stick-in-the-mud) on the former, and Needham, Lawrence Hogben (who alked just like "Time's" articles, Smart Aleck-y but yet with some stuff in him) and several more on the other side. A man named Bernal (sp?) told of work on the crystallographic structure of proteins which seems to explain the diverse behavior. Under some conditions apparently a long, linear molecule, which when elec. condtions change may roll up. Suggestion, a possible explan. of muscle contraction. This was anent [?] the idea that the crystallographer stands between the chem. and the biologist.
Lunch with Dean Stimson at the Victoria and Albert Museum, at which time I learned a good deal. Prof. Welch's post was offered to Prof. Singer, but after much meditation they (Mrs. Singer also was to have had a post) declined. No British Museum in Baltimore! The V. & A. museum is huge, and it seemed quite dreadful not to see it all. London is so big!
In the afternoon we went on a most interesting trip to the Barber's Hall. This survived the Great Fire of 1666 because they had a garden for herbs! Now it is in the very midst of the City. The Guild is now really a Club of men of the City, for the surgeons went off in 1760 +/- and this with the other guilds has merely kept the organization in name, not profession. The master and several members in black robes with brown fur, the master with a huge gold thing on his chest, sat with us around the great long original dissecting table in a room designed by Wren, and on the table was the great silver punch bowl given by Queen Anne, the cups with bells & other decorations given by Henry VIII &c - oh, it was quite thrilling - pictures on the wall, &c.
There was a tea but I cut it to buy a book or two. In the evening - note this, Charlotte - a reception at the Royal College of Physicians, with all their plate out - very wonderful - and oh, such a wonderful collection of engraved portraits hung all around one big room, not to mention all those painted portraits. The members and wives were most gracious in telling us of the things. Lord Dawson of Penn and Lady Dawson received - he is Pres. now - the one who signs the bulletins when the King is sick, you know. The Harvey wand was out - and their very best silver thing is a longer wand which lay across the great gold mace. There's a charm in all these things!
Friday - a session on the relation of pure and applied science. Rather stupid - I went out to do a few errands. Lunch at a women's club, the Lyceum - professional and otherwise. Not too exciting. But thereafter we went to Darwin's home at Down House, by motor bus, with Mr. Thurston to tell us all the tings by the way, "This is the road by which Caesar and the Romans came to Londone," &c and Mr. Addey to expound of enlargements from his unusual pictures - went to tea on Sunday at his home to do this.
There was a dinner but we went to the Theatre to see Fay Compton in a Tirolese play, Autumn Crocus, instead. Charming.
Saturday. Excursion to Oxford. By motor bus, out one way, back by Henley where the Regatta was in excited progress. At Oxford we went to Magdalen, through the Botanic Gardens, to Christ Church. We lunched at Oriel, where I sat by an astronomer of note, Prof. Sampson. Then we were taken to the Bodleian to see an Evans Collection of Scientific Instruments explained by a man named Gunther - a delightful man and a wonderful collection. Then the ms. of the Bodleian, with extras out for us. Then a bit of time to run here and there before we came home. Which was the end of the Congress.
Sunday we were still alive and cheerful and went for the incomparable music at the Temple Church, where the crusaders lie on the floor with their legs variously crossed according to the number of their crusades - and also I had a glimpse of the National Gallery and longed for more time!
Someday I'd like to stay in London for April and May - with week-ends in the country - and for September and October, just to see if I could know a bit about it. Each time it seems more interesting to me, and now the Univ. women have a beautiful place, the restored old Crosby Hall, where one could live.
And I've left out so many, many things. Oh - dinner Thurs. ev'g with Prof. Singer, a charming house in Highgate, where I had a long talk with Mr. Calvin Rice, aforementioned. Prof. Singer has books. He and his wife were very gracious.