[{"id":78223,"date":"2026-09-24T07:58:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T11:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/?p=78223"},"modified":"2026-09-24T07:58:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T11:58:13","slug":"meet-the-fellows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/collections\/blog\/meet-the-fellows\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Fellows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Each year, the Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry<\/a> at the Science History Institute welcomes a new class of research fellows. The Beckman Center offers both fellowships and travel grants<\/a>, which provide funding to support academic research using our library, archives, and museum collections. We asked some of our newest fellows to tell us more about their projects and the collections they\u2019ll be researching during their fellowships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jessica Hogbin<\/strong><\/a>
Allington Dissertation Fellow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I am looking forward to spending this upcoming year completing and defending my dissertation, \u201cInnumerable Melancholies: Medicine, Mental Health, and Human Nature in Renaissance Italy, 1450\u20131650.\u201d This project uses court records, printed medical treatises, medicinal recipes, and manuscripts to study the history of mental illness and healthcare in the Renaissance, and I trace how the echoes of this premodern discourse around mental health can still be heard in the present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a
Institute fellow Jessica Hogbin pointing out a manicule<\/a> on a page from Liber de secretis naturae seu de quinta essentia<\/em> (1498).<\/figcaption>
Jessica Hogbin<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the Science History Institute, I\u2019ll be working with the some of the oldest manuscripts held by the Othmer Library, and I am especially excited to work with texts that were either produced or copied in Italy. I am particularly eager to work with manuscripts on both alchemy and medicine, such as Liber secreti naturali<\/em><\/a> [Recipes and extracts on alchemy, medicine, metal-working, cosmetics, veterinary science, agriculture, wine-making, and other subjects<\/em>] (ca. 1425\u20131450); [Alchemical miscellany<\/em><\/a>] (ca. 1450\u20131470); Liber de secretis naturae seu de quinta essentia<\/em><\/a> [The Book of the Secrets of Nature or of the Quintessence<\/em>] (1498); and [Miscellany of medical, magical, and alchemical recipes<\/em><\/a>] (ca. 1520\u20131540). These materials are of particular interest to my research because they demonstrate the overlap between scientific inquiry and medicine in the Renaissance, and they also illustrate how different people approached, thought about, and attempted to cure mental illnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grace Kim-Butler<\/strong><\/a>
Haas Fellow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I’m here to understand how scientists worked to improve how materials flowed through continuous process manufacturing in the 20th century. How did they ensure that liquids poured smoothly, sticky adhesives rolled off the production belt, or microbes did not gunk up the machines? I\u2019m interested in how scientists developed the stuff\u2014such as enzymes, surfactants, and acrylic resins\u2014for the making of other stuff at the scales and velocities of industrial manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"article
An article on metalworking fluid used in aluminum beer can production, published in the Rohm and Haas Reporter<\/em>, Spring 1981.<\/figcaption>
Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Currently, I\u2019m wading through the Rohm and Haas Company Archives<\/a> at the Science History Institute. Rohm and Haas was a chemical company headquartered in Philadelphia. At the moment, I\u2019m enjoying going through the Rohm and Haas Reporter<\/em>, which was a quarterly publication the company sent to its customers in industry. They detail how Rohm and Haas products are used, among other things, to increase the lifespan of metalworking fluids used in the making of beer cans and to improve the flow of concrete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Soares Mesquita<\/a><\/strong>
Doan Fellow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the Science History Institute, I am particularly interested in trying to understand how someone educated in a particular tradition of thought came to integrate elements of another into their body of knowledge. My case study is Est\u00eav\u00e3o Rodrigues de Castro<\/a> (1559\u20131637), a Portuguese physician educated in the traditional Aristotelian model in Portugal. Late in life, he moved to Florence and achieved the venerable position of physician to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Although he almost certainly had no contact with authors such as Paracelsus, Philipp Ulstad, Joseph du Chesne, Andreas Libavius, and Duncan Bornet, at least in his formative years, all are cited in one of his major works, De meteoris microcosmi<\/em> [On the meteors of the microcosm<\/em>] (1621). In this book, Castro advanced the idea that the world contained processes similar to those happening in the \u201cgreat chemical workshops\u201d and discussed the nature of gold and pearls, actively engaging with or referencing these authors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it is difficult to trace how Castro developed his thought over a long period of time (De meteoris microcosmi <\/em>was not published until he was 62!), one of my goals is to get a glimpse of how moving from one place to another can shape a person\u2019s preceding body of knowledge. Just like me in these past couple of months at the Science History Institute: I have learned a lot, and my time here has been deeply transformative, both personally and academically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"man
Institute fellow David Mesquita examining [Miscellany of medical, magical, and alchemical recipes<\/em>]<\/a> in the Othmer Library.<\/figcaption>
Jessica Hogbin<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I have been working with the Othmer Library\u2019s rare books collection, where I have been looking into the works of du Chesne, Libavius, and others. The Othmer Library also holds a book by Castro that I have been researching over the past few months. It has the quirky title of Quae ex quibus <\/em>[The Things Out of Which<\/em>] (1627), but that\u2019s a story for another time. It has been such an exciting journey having access to so many amazing books all in one place!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Visit the Current Fellows<\/a> page to learn about all of the scholars researching our collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Featured image: Detail of an illustration from Philipp Ulstad\u2019s Coelum Philosophorum, seu De Secretis Naturae<\/a><\/em>, 1525.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Highlighting the research projects of our current resident scholars.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3170,"featured_media":78237,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMeet the Fellows | Science History Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Highlighting the research projects of our current resident scholars.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/collections\/blog\/meet-the-fellows\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" 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Rodriguez"},"url":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/profile\/drodriguez\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3170"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78223"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78239,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78223\/revisions\/78239"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":77750,"date":"2026-09-10T06:57:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T10:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/?p=77750"},"modified":"2026-09-10T06:59:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T10:59:07","slug":"the-kids-corner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/collections\/blog\/the-kids-corner\/","title":{"rendered":"“The Kids\u2019 Corner”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1955, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) launched the Traveling High School Science Library Program. With support from the National Science Foundation, the initiative was interested in \u201cassuring sufficient scientific manpower for the future.\u201d During its first year, the Traveling Library delivered trunks containing 150 books on science and mathematics to 66 schools around the country. \u201cBiographies and autobiographies,\u201d its director summarized, \u201chistories of science and mathematics,\u201d and books on \u201capplied science\u201d dominated the collection. Program architects used circulation records and questionnaire results to update trunk selections in the following years. Such analyses gave rise to <em>The AAAS Science Book List for Children <\/em>in 1960, the journal <em>Science Books & Films <\/em>in 1965, and the AAAS\/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books in 2005, sponsored by Subaru of America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" class=\"wp-image-77753 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/picture_book_winners-1024x512.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of evaluation criteria for AAAS\/Subaru Prize. 8\/20\/26.\" class=\"wp-image-77753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/picture_book_winners-1024x512.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/picture_book_winners-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/picture_book_winners-768x384.png 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/picture_book_winners.png 1269w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot of evaluation criteria for AAAS\/Subaru Prize. 8\/20\/26.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">sbfprize.org<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This shape-shifting enterprise\u2014an attempt to promote scientific cultures and concepts among U.S. kids through literature\u2014is one that resonates with a lot of the public-facing work we do at the Science History Institute. Visit the \u201cKids\u2019 Corner\u201d in the museum\u2019s main exhibition hall, and you may find a recent AAAS\/Subaru Prize winner on the shelf of its small, but colorful collection of books for younger visitors. On a recent visit, for instance, I spotted someone curled up with the 2021 awardee in the \u201cChildren\u2019s Science Picture Book\u201d category, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbfprize.org\/mario-and-the-hole-in-the-sky\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved our Planet<\/em><\/a> (2019).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"794\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-77755 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/kids_corner_shelf-794x1024.jpg\" alt=\"shelf filled with children's books and games\" class=\"wp-image-77755\" style=\"width:410px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/kids_corner_shelf-794x1024.jpg 794w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/kids_corner_shelf-233x300.jpg 233w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/kids_corner_shelf-768x991.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/kids_corner_shelf.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 794px) 100vw, 794px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kids\u2019 Corner shelf in the museum.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As someone who routinely moves back and forth between the Institute\u2019s museum and library, I have often found myself thinking about the similarities and differences between the storytelling comprised in these two \u201ccollections.\u201d The auxiliary collection in the museum reflects the content of the Institute\u2019s permanent and rotating exhibitions, the diverse backgrounds visitors bring to the museum, and the value of entertainment in the pursuit of public history. It was put together initially by museum education staff who were looking to engage families through storytime programs. Books for children in the Othmer Library, on the other hand, reflect a carefully considered collections policy that seeks to preserve the history and historiography of science\u2014in this case, the history of science education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What happens when we set books published in the last few years next to those that were written in earlier periods? What can such comparison tell us about the histories of science, publishing, and the ways in which childhood has been understood?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-genre\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Genre<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-bottom:-35px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The preference for life stories\u2014biographies and autobiographies\u2014is one thing that seems to have remained constant over time. The majority of the books in the museum\u2019s Kids\u2019 Corner are about scientific heroes. One can learn, for example, about inventor Frank Epperson in <a href=\"https:\/\/kidscanpress.com\/product\/the-boy-who-invented-the-popsicle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Boy Who Invented the Popsicle<\/em><\/a> (2019), about physician Anthony Fauci in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencefriday.com\/segments\/anthony-fauci-kids-book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Dr Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America\u2019s Doctor<\/em><\/a> (2021), or about the inspiring story of marine biologist Melissa Cristina M\u00e1rquez in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/713671\/mother-of-sharks-by-melissa-cristina-marquez-illustrated-by-devin-elle-kurtz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Mother of Sharks<\/em><\/a> (2023). These titles extend the tradition of biographical science writing that reaches back, at least, to <a href=\"\/visit\/exhibitions\/sensational-science-a-century-of-microbe-hunters\/\">Paul de Kruif<\/a> in the 1920s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t<div class=\"shi-container shi-container-images shi-el-mt-40 shi-el-mb-40 shi-wp-block shi-print\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image-full__block\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"449\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sensationalscienceCovers.png\" width=\"1500\" height=\"449\" alt=\"Covers of the book Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif\" class=\"img-autosize image-full__img\" alt=\"Covers of the book Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sensationalscienceCovers.png 1500w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sensationalscienceCovers-300x90.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sensationalscienceCovers-1024x307.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sensationalscienceCovers-768x230.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Covers from the 1920s to the 1990s of de Kruif\u2019s collective biography, <em>Microbe Hunters<\/em>.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"shi-content shi-print\"><div class=\"shi-container shi-container_extra-small\"><div class=\"shi-text-format shi-el-mb-60\">\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-top:-10px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That said, these 21st-century books portray the scientists <em>as children<\/em> to a greater degree than was done in the past. Rather than describing the childhood of someone who went on to become a scientist, they invite readers to identify with the scientist\u2019s youthful questions, experiments, and designs. A quick survey of the Othmer Library\u2019s historical holdings suggests that this approach dates to the 1950s, when investments in U.S. science education were sky high. Prior to that time, authors were more likely to appeal to a child\u2019s desire to grow into a fully formed hero figure through an emphasis on their adult accomplishments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:46.6%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"758\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-77759 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/walter_reed_book_cover-758x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of Walter Reed book\" class=\"wp-image-77759\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/walter_reed_book_cover-758x1024.jpg 758w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/walter_reed_book_cover-222x300.jpg 222w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/walter_reed_book_cover-768x1037.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/walter_reed_book_cover-1137x1536.jpg 1137w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/walter_reed_book_cover.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Walter Reed: Boy Who Wanted to Know <\/em>(1958), part of the <em>Childhood of Famous Americans <\/em>series.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:60%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"736\" class=\"wp-image-77761 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_cover.png\" alt=\"Cover of the book The Girl with a Mind for Math\" class=\"wp-image-77761\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_cover.png 700w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_cover-285x300.png 285w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The Girl with a Mind for Math <\/em>(2020), part of the <em>Amazing Scientists<\/em> series.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The contemporary books for young visitors in the museum are richly illustrated, with certain features in common. They tend to emphasize the <em>values <\/em>of science, including things like curiosity, multiculturalism, struggle, and service. For example, in <em>Perkins Perfect Purple: How a Boy Created Color with Chemistry<\/em> (2020), readers are hooked by a question that English chemist <a href=\"\/education\/scientific-biographies\/william-henry-perkin\/\">William Henry Perkin<\/a> is said to have asked himself: could he cure rich and poor with chemistry?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though the emphasis on diverse cultures and backgrounds seems to distinguish the contemporary literature from earlier exemplars in the Othmer Library, an impulse to instill shared values through children\u2019s storytelling is evergreen. We see it, for example, in the <a href=\"\/collections\/blog\/the-kids-are-alright\/\">books historian of science Bert Hansen donated to the library in 2023<\/a>. Reflecting on titles like <em>Alexander Aggasiz: Pioneer Oceanographer <\/em>and <em>William Crawford Gorgas: Tropic Fever Fighter<\/em>, Hansen said in an interview that they bring \u201cto light the U.S. public\u2019s feelings and ideas about what science does, what it contributes to society.\u201d These biographies, in particular, convey the sense that research is exciting, \u201coptimistic,\u201d and \u201cfuture-oriented\u201d\u2014that it is in the business of opening up new frontiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"703\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-77763 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77763\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/pioneer_oceanographer_bookcover768x1118-703x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Cover of the book Pioneer Oceanographer\" class=\"wp-image-77763\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/pioneer_oceanographer_bookcover768x1118-703x1024.jpeg 703w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/pioneer_oceanographer_bookcover768x1118-206x300.jpeg 206w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/pioneer_oceanographer_bookcover768x1118.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"703\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-77764 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77764\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tropic_fever_fighter_bookcover-768x1118-1-703x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Cover of the book Tropic Fever Fighter\" class=\"wp-image-77764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tropic_fever_fighter_bookcover-768x1118-1-703x1024.jpeg 703w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tropic_fever_fighter_bookcover-768x1118-1-206x300.jpeg 206w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/tropic_fever_fighter_bookcover-768x1118-1.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-top:-10px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.75em;line-height:1.33em\">Two books from Bert Hansen\u2019s donation to the Othmer Library: Alexander Aggasiz’s <em>Pioneer Oceanographer<\/em> (1948) and William Crawford Gorgas’s <em>Tropic Fever Fighter<\/em> (1962).<br><class=\"has-text-align-left has-text-color\"=\"\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.80em;line-height:1.33em\">Science History Institute<\/class=\"has-text-align-left><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-materials\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the values that come across in contemporary science books for children often loft high, their authors and illustrators make every effort to ground these stories in references that will feel familiar to young readers today. Domestic objects\u2014kitchen equipment, backyard finds, and other \u201cspare parts\u201d feature prominently in representations of scientists\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"663\" class=\"wp-image-77766 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/boy_outside_box-1024x663.jpg\" alt=\"page spread from a children's book with illustration\" class=\"wp-image-77766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/boy_outside_box-1024x663.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/boy_outside_box-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/boy_outside_box-768x497.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/boy_outside_box-1536x994.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/boy_outside_box.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Opening from <em>The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box: The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer<\/em> (2020), part of the <em>People Who Shaped Our World<\/em> series.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Assumptions about the everyday material circumstances of young readers are similarly, if surprisingly, conveyed through the remarkable volumes of <a href=\"https:\/\/catalog.hathitrust.org\/Record\/001732392\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>La Science Amusante<\/em><\/a> in the Othmer\u2019s rare book collection. Authored in the late 1800s by engineer and educator <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arthur_Good\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arthur Good<\/a> under the pen name \u201cTom Tit,\u201d and richly illustrated by <a href=\"https:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Louis_Poyet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Louis Poyet<\/a>, these books bend, dangle, invert, and otherwise manipulate the objects of middle-class <em>fin de si\u00e8cle <\/em>Parisian life into more than 300 physical experiments and demonstrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"712\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-77768 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_016_crop-712x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Page from La Science Amusante showing an experiment\" class=\"wp-image-77768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_016_crop-712x1024.jpg 712w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_016_crop-209x300.jpg 209w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_016_crop-768x1104.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_016_crop.jpg 893w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 712px) 100vw, 712px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"712\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-77769 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77769\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_007-712x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Page from La Science Amusante showing an experiment\" class=\"wp-image-77769\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_007-712x1024.jpg 712w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_007-209x300.jpg 209w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_007-768x1104.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_007.jpg 893w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 712px) 100vw, 712px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-top:-10px;margin-bottom:10px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"712\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-77772 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77772\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_008-712x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Page from La Science Amusante showing an experiment\" class=\"wp-image-77772\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_008-712x1024.jpg 712w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_008-209x300.jpg 209w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_008-768x1104.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_008.jpg 893w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 712px) 100vw, 712px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"712\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-77771 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77771\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_009-712x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Page from La Science Amusante showing an experiment\" class=\"wp-image-77771\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_009-712x1024.jpg 712w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_009-209x300.jpg 209w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_009-768x1104.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/TomTit_009.jpg 893w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 712px) 100vw, 712px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.75em;line-height:1.33em\">Experiments involving everyday objects from Vols. I and III of Tom Tit’s <em>La Science Amusante<\/em>.<br><class=\"has-text-align-left has-text-color\"=\"\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.80em;line-height:1.33em\">Science History Institute<\/class=\"has-text-align-left><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From Poyet\u2019s engravings, it looks like fowl and alcohol were abundant in late-19th century France. He shows children engaged in diverting science experiments with their families, true to Good\u2019s aim, which was to provide his own children with a \u201csouvenir\u2026of the happy moments we have spent together trying the experiments and constructing the apparatuses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-audience\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Audience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>La Science Amusante <\/em>does indeed raise questions about the role(s) of parents and other educators. To what extent are the books in these two \u201ccollections\u201d written for children to read themselves and to what extent do they assume that adults are present to facilitate?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eliza_Ann_Youmans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Eliza A. Youmans<\/a>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/babel.hathitrust.org\/cgi\/pt?id=hvd.hn1qti&seq=13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The First Book of Botany, Designed to Cultivate the Observing Powers of Children<\/em><\/a> (1870) is explicitly addressed to \u201cteachers,\u201d or \u201cthose concerned in the work of education.\u201d Youmans\u2019s own biography helps to explain her framework. To assist her brother\u2014Edward Youmans, who was blind\u2014Eliza read aloud and narrated her experiments in chemistry. She took chemistry classes to become a better tutor, galvanizing her own interest in science. Given this personal experience, it would have seemed natural to her that the \u201cobserving powers of children\u201d were to be cultivated through some sort of mediation. Youmans\u2019s <em>The First Book of Botany <\/em>also shows how commitments to progressive education were bound up with <a href=\"https:\/\/brandwein.org\/anss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nature study<\/a> and underwritten by an enlightened publishing company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"563\" height=\"835\" class=\"wp-image-77774 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77774\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/publishers_notice_book_botany.png\" alt=\"Pages from The First Book of Botany, Designed to Cultivate the Observing Powers of Children (1870)\" class=\"wp-image-77774\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/publishers_notice_book_botany.png 563w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/publishers_notice_book_botany-202x300.png 202w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 563px) 100vw, 563px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"563\" height=\"835\" class=\"wp-image-77775 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77775\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/chapter1_book_botany.jpeg\" alt=\"Pages from The First Book of Botany, Designed to Cultivate the Observing Powers of Children (1870)\" class=\"wp-image-77775\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/chapter1_book_botany.jpeg 563w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/chapter1_book_botany-202x300.jpeg 202w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 563px) 100vw, 563px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-top:-10px;margin-bottom:20px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.75em;line-height:1.33em\">Pages from <em>The First Book of Botany, Designed to Cultivate the Observing Powers of Children<\/em> (1870).<br><class=\"has-text-align-left has-text-color\"=\"\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.80em;line-height:1.33em\">Courtesy of Harvard University via Hathi Trust<\/class=\"has-text-align-left><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roughly 150 years later, we find clues that publishers are still targeting intergenerational audiences. Many of the books in the museum\u2019s collection, for instance, have detailed appendices, glossaries, and sources for continued learning. Such features highlight the extent to which reading is (or can be) a group activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" class=\"wp-image-77777 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77777\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_sources1.png\" alt=\"Source page from The Girl with a Mind for Math (2020)\" class=\"wp-image-77777\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_sources1.png 600w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_sources1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_sources1-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" class=\"wp-image-77778 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77778\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_sources2.png\" alt=\"Source page from The Girl with a Mind for Math (2020)\" class=\"wp-image-77778\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_sources2.png 600w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_sources2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/girl_mind_math_sources2-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-top:-10px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.75em;line-height:1.33em\">Source pages from <em>The Girl with a Mind for Math<\/em> (2020).<br><class=\"has-text-align-left has-text-color\"=\"\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.80em;line-height:1.33em\">Science History Institute<\/class=\"has-text-align-left><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-framing\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Framing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/digital.sciencehistory.org\/works\/o6hvpac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Fairy-Land of Science<\/em><\/a> (1878) preserves a record of such human encounters. Adapted by English writer and science educator Arabella Buckley from a series of lectures given \u201clast spring, in St. John\u2019s Wood, to a large audience of children and their friends,\u201d the book is a direct appeal to children, framed in the language of fantasy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"585\" height=\"860\" class=\"wp-image-77780 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77780\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fairyland_science1.jpg\" alt=\"Page from the book The Fairy-Land of Science\n\" class=\"wp-image-77780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fairyland_science1.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fairyland_science1-204x300.jpg 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 585px) 100vw, 585px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"585\" height=\"860\" class=\"wp-image-77781 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"77781\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fairyland_science2.jpg\" alt=\"Page from the book The Fairy-Land of Science\" class=\"wp-image-77781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fairyland_science2.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fairyland_science2-204x300.jpg 204w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 585px) 100vw, 585px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-top:-10px;margin-bottom:20px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.75em;line-height:1.33em\">The opening lecture of Buckley\u2019s <em>The Fairy-Land of Science<\/em>. <br><class=\"has-text-align-left has-text-color\"=\"\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.80em;line-height:1.33em\">Science History Institute<\/class=\"has-text-align-left><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Flipping to Lecture VIII, \u201cThe History of a Piece of Coal,\u201d Buckley invites readers to \u201ctake an imaginary journey with me to a coal-pit near Newcastle.\u201d Entering into the scene, she paints a vivid picture:<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"shi-block-quote shi-wp-block shi-print\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-block-quote__wrapper\" style=\"border-color: #D7272E;\">\n\t\t\t\t…you will see that we have very good evidence that coal is made of plants, for in all coal mines we find remains of them at every step we take. Let us imagine that we have put on old clothes which will not spoil, and have stepped into the iron basket called by miners a <em>cage<\/em>, and are being let down the shaft to the gallery where the miners are at work\u2026Taking lamps in our hands and keeping out of the way of the trucks, we will first throw the light on the roof, which is made of shale or hardened clay. We shall not have gone many yards before we see impressions of plants in the shale, like those in this specimen\u2026You will recognize at once the marks of <em>ferns<\/em>, for they look like those you gather in the hedges of an ordinary country lane\u2026\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though the content and form are quite different, I was intrigued to find books in the Kids\u2019 Corner that also used familiar figures of fantasy\u2014dragons and wizards\u2014to communicate foundational chemical knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" class=\"wp-image-77783 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/alchemical_wizards_books-1024x536.jpeg\" alt=\"Covers of the book Magical Elements of the Periodic Table Presented by the Alchemical Wizards\" class=\"wp-image-77783\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/alchemical_wizards_books-1024x536.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/alchemical_wizards_books-300x157.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/alchemical_wizards_books-768x402.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/alchemical_wizards_books-1536x804.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/alchemical_wizards_books-2048x1072.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Books 1 and 2 from the <em>Magical Elements of the Periodic Table Presented by the Alchemical Wizards<\/em> series.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-take-homes\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take-homes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sifting through these diverse examples, the questions I keep coming back to are: what have adults thought kids need to know about science and how has that changed over time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While a tinkerer\u2019s ethic underlies both <em>The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box <\/em>and the Tom Tit books, I detected a shift in this preliminary survey from a primary concern with foundational knowledge of physical principles to \u201cmaking stuff\u201d\u2014 or, one could say, from science to technology. There has also been a greater emphasis on artwork, which has taken up a correspondingly greater percentage of the pages of these books over time. Finally, the 21st-century literature seems much more concerned with matters of identity and representation, extending a more inclusive invitation to science-curious youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these differences, I was struck by the underlying consistency of the children\u2019s science literature over a period of some 150 years. Values of curiosity and sociality run through these books; they have tried to make science relatable by invoking familiar objects and circumstances; they have, in practice, addressed hybrid audiences; and they have appealed to a sense of wonder through pictures\u2014both in the mind and on the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:14px\">Featured image: A selection of children’s books available in the Kids’ Corner in our museum.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-top:45px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\t<div class=\"shi-related shi-wp-block \" style=\"margin-top: 30px\">\n\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"shi-related__title\">You may also like<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/education\/scientific-biographies\/paul-de-kruif\/\" class=\"shi-related__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"143\" height=\"108\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/paul_de_kruif_1944-143x108.jpg\" class=\"shi-related__thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"man in a hat smoking a pipe\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__meta\">SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHIES<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"shi-related__subtitle\">Paul de Kruif<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/collections\/blog\/the-kids-are-alright\/\" class=\"shi-related__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"143\" height=\"108\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/medical_discoveries_header-143x108.jpeg\" class=\"shi-related__thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"illustration of children playing\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__meta\">Collections Blog<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"shi-related__subtitle\">The Kids Are Alright<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/research\/othmer-library\/\" class=\"shi-related__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"143\" height=\"108\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/library_stacks_hand-1-143x108.jpeg\" class=\"shi-related__thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"hand reaching for a book on a library shelf\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__meta\">Research<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"shi-related__subtitle\">Othmer Library<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"shi-excerpt-text-format\">\n<p>How do science books for kids today compare with those that have come before?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3170,"featured_media":77785,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>"The Kids\u2019 Corner" | Science History Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How do science books for kids today compare with those that have come before?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/collections\/blog\/the-kids-corner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""The Kids\u2019 Corner"\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How do science books for kids today compare with those that have come before?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/collections\/blog\/the-kids-corner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Science History Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SciHistoryOrg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-10T10:57:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-10T10:59:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/kids_books_museum_hero-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" 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Surgeon\u2019s Prosthesis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the summer of 1935, high-schooler Morris A. Robbins made physical contact with an exposed power line, which resulted in the amputation of his left arm below the elbow and severe damage to his right hand. By then, however, his mind was already set on becoming a surgeon: his disability only strengthened his resolve. He spent his life practicing general medicine and surgery in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, wearing prostheses he designed himself. After his death in 2004, his daughter, Dorothy Robbins Talavera, gave the Science History Institute a collection of his homemade prostheses, along with wooden models, typewritten essays, schematics, and a copy of his autobiography, <em>The Life and Times of a One-Armed Surgeon <\/em>(2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"701\" class=\"wp-image-77320 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/morris_robbins_images-1024x701.jpeg\" alt=\"a book cover and papers arranged on a table\" class=\"wp-image-77320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/morris_robbins_images-1024x701.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/morris_robbins_images-300x205.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/morris_robbins_images-768x526.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/morris_robbins_images.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Morris A. Robbins\u2019s <em>The Life and Times of a One-Armed Surgeon<\/em> (2020) among his personal papers. His autobiography was edited posthumously by Dorothy Robbins Talavera.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This book contains a letter Robbins wrote as he applied to medical school, from which disabled students were largely excluded. \u201cI invent and construct artificial hands\u2026in order to build self-confidence and ability to manipulate instruments and material, in order to practice techniques which I will use in medical school,\u201d he wrote in his application letter to Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1941. \u201cI love medicine. I plead for a chance to succeed in it or go down fighting.\u201d The design and fabrication of Robbins\u2019s own prostheses was tied with his practice of \u201cself-confidence.\u201d He did not see his disability as a hindrance, but as an everyday practice that made him especially attentive to his patients\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-bottom:-35px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robbins constructed wood-based prostheses throughout his entire life, mostly for himself, although he made a few for his patients, and even for <a href=\"https:\/\/sciencehistory.pastperfectonline.com\/webobject\/5FB2EB27-801A-4DD9-9C9D-084642353420\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rescued animals<\/a>! The Science History Institute holds various models ranging from his first experiments in the 1940s to his final prototypes, estimated to date from the early 1980s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t<div class=\"shi-container shi-container-images shi-el-mt-40 shi-el-mb-40 shi-wp-block shi-print\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image-full__block\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"727\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hook-scaled.jpeg\" width=\"2560\" height=\"727\" alt=\"Prosthetic arm with hook, designed by Morris A. Robbins\" class=\"img-autosize image-full__img\" alt=\"Prosthetic arm with hook, designed by Morris A. Robbins\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hook-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hook-300x85.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hook-1024x291.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hook-768x218.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hook-1536x436.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hook-2048x581.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/digital.sciencehistory.org\/works\/dbz4e3g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Prosthetic arm with hook<\/a>, designed by Morris A. Robbins.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"shi-content shi-print\"><div class=\"shi-container shi-container_extra-small\"><div class=\"shi-text-format shi-el-mb-60\">\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-bottom:-35px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robbins started with hooks at the ends of his prosthetic arms, then went on to design increasingly complex hands. All of these prostheses were body-powered: a harness around the shoulder and back was strapped to the prosthesis to allow the hand to open and close by shrugging one\u2019s shoulders. Robbins designed his prostheses with surgery in mind\u2014their strong grip was constructed specifically to accommodate tool handles. He theorized about his craft in an essay titled \u201cThe Surgeon\u2019s Prosthesis,\u201d published in the <em>Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery <\/em>in 1994. There, he elaborates on his preference for simple, practical, body-powered prostheses over the <a href=\"https:\/\/collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk\/objects\/co127551\/myoelectric-arm-hand-prosthesis-england-1980-artificial-arm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cmyoelectric\u201d ones<\/a>, which were entering the market at the time. For Robbins, body-powered prostheses were the manifestation of his ethics of autonomy: I can repair my own body, I know how this part of me functions; I don\u2019t need to charge a battery or have a specialist inspect a part of me I cannot understand.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t<div class=\"shi-container shi-container-images shi-el-mt-40 shi-el-mb-40 shi-wp-block shi-print\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"image-full__block\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"776\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hand-scaled.jpeg\" width=\"2560\" height=\"776\" alt=\"Prosthetic arm with hand, designed by Morris A. Robbins\" class=\"img-autosize image-full__img\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hand-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hand-300x91.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hand-1024x310.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hand-768x233.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hand-1536x466.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hand-2048x621.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/digital.sciencehistory.org\/works\/ku5m4ns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Prosthetic arm with hand<\/a>, designed by Morris A. Robbins.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"shi-content shi-print\"><div class=\"shi-container shi-container_extra-small\"><div class=\"shi-text-format shi-el-mb-60\">\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Autonomy was fundamental to Robbins\u2019s life and practice. As a child, he kept to himself and learned from his father, a carpenter, how to make his own toys. His Christian education and the influence of post-World War II American ideals of masculine self-sufficiency reinforced this perspective. In his view, the duty of a husband and a father was to rely on himself and provide for his family. Being disabled did not change that obligation. Robbins\u2019s prostheses and experiments were founded on an ideal of self-sufficiency anchored in Ralph Waldo Emerson\u2019s concept of <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.vcu.edu\/english\/engweb\/transcendentalism\/authors\/emerson\/essays\/selfreliance.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cself-reliance\u201d<\/a>: each individual\u2019s personal responsibility is to invent new paths for their own life, instead of conforming to what society deems normal or accepted. So it makes sense that Robbins often wrote that his disability and his unprofitable experiments made him a \u201cloner,\u201d and he was proud of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Robbins, the functionality of a prosthesis or the accessibility of a vehicle always superseded its appearance, or, in other words, its ability to \u201cpass\u201d as an abled or ordinary body part. In another essay, \u201cLiving with One Hand\u201d (1999), Robbins once again opposes the more aesthetically pleasing hand prosthesis in favor of the rougher \u201chooks\u201d he had been designing and using for decades: \u201cThe hand does not hide the deformity but the hook announces that you can handle yourself.\u201d That expression says it all. There is no hiding disability, nor should it have to be hidden; that is not the primary aim of prosthesis. Handling oneself, repairing oneself, and from this state of autonomy, being able to help or repair others, this was the goal of Robbins\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"674\" height=\"572\" class=\"wp-image-77327 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dot_morris_robbins_bronco.jpg\" alt=\"a man and woman standing in front of a house and car with a cat\" class=\"wp-image-77327\" style=\"width:800px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dot_morris_robbins_bronco.jpg 674w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dot_morris_robbins_bronco-300x255.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 674px) 100vw, 674px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Morris A. Robbins and his daughter, Dorothy Robbins Talavera. Photographed by Betty Robbins, 1968.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Courtesy Dorothy Robbins Talavera<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robbins felt that the medical institutions and specialty organizations of his time kept their distance from him because of his disability and his creative methods. Regardless, it seems he found the most joy when he ran his own practice, where all his activities were \u201cself-contained\u201d: surgery, medicine and experimentation all happening under the same roof. There, Robbins could always count on his family, who repaid his care, craftmanship, and inventions with undying support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His daughter Dorothy has been a steward of his life and work, entrusting the Science History Institute with his papers and objects, and editing his autobiography. Elizabeth (Betty), his wife, supported him for decades through their many relocations and struggles. One anecdote I found in Robbins\u2019s autobiography proves this perhaps more than any other story I could tell: \u201cEventually, [Robbins] molded a plaster model of Betty\u2019s left hand, and attached it to his device. That was the hand he used for surgery, because it fit in a surgical glove. Both literally and figuratively, Betty was Morris\u2019 other hand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:14px\">Featured image: Morris A. Robbins in his Burlington, New Jersey, office. Photographed by Betty Robbins, ca. 1965. Courtesy Dorothy Robbins Talavera<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-top:45px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\t<div class=\"shi-related shi-wp-block \" style=\"margin-top: 30px\">\n\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"shi-related__title\">You may also like<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/visit\/exhibitions\/exhibitlab-exploration-of-morris-a-robbins-md\/\" class=\"shi-related__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"143\" height=\"108\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/prosthetic_arm_with_strings_bg-e1685623890240-143x108.jpeg\" class=\"shi-related__thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Prosthetic Arm with Strings\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__meta\">EXHIBITIONS<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"shi-related__subtitle\">Exploration of Morris A. 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Robbins and a tale of autonomy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3170,"featured_media":77318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Surgeon\u2019s Prosthesis | Science History Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Morris A. Robbins and a tale of autonomy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/collections\/blog\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Surgeon\u2019s Prosthesis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Morris A. Robbins and a tale of autonomy.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/collections\/blog\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Science History Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SciHistoryOrg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-27T11:00:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-27T11:00:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/prosthetic_arm_with_hand-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"776\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dana Rodriguez\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Morris A. Robbins and a tale of autonomy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@scihistoryorg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@scihistoryorg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dana Rodriguez\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dana Rodriguez\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ad0c6cf35b3ebe918e01dd2bd4f46c9f\"},\"headline\":\"The Surgeon\u2019s Prosthesis\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-27T11:00:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-27T11:00:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":951,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/morris_robbins_burlington_office.jpeg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Surgeon\u2019s Prosthesis | Science History Institute\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/morris_robbins_burlington_office.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-27T11:00:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-27T11:00:04+00:00\",\"description\":\"Morris A. Robbins and a tale of autonomy.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/collections\\\/blog\\\/the-surgeons-prosthesis\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/morris_robbins_burlington_office.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sciencehistory.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/morris_robbins_burlington_office.jpeg\",\"width\":2100,\"height\":1689,\"caption\":\"Morris A. Robbins in his Burlington, New Jersey, office. 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in the Margins"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"789\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-76805 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Alfred_Swaine_Taylor_1868_Wellcome-789x1024.jpg\" alt=\"sepia-toned portrait of a man sitting in a chair\" class=\"wp-image-76805\" style=\"width:414px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Alfred_Swaine_Taylor_1868_Wellcome-789x1024.jpg 789w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Alfred_Swaine_Taylor_1868_Wellcome-231x300.jpg 231w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Alfred_Swaine_Taylor_1868_Wellcome-768x997.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Alfred_Swaine_Taylor_1868_Wellcome.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alfred Swaine Taylor in 1856.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Wellcome Collection<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I’m sitting in a corner of the Othmer Library, about to leaf through the Alfred Swaine Taylor collection. This collection includes manuscripts of the influential English doctor and chemist\u2019s early lectures and his personal copy of <em>On Poisons in Relation to Medical Jurisprudence and Medicine <\/em>(1875), one of his major works on the physiological effects of toxic substances and chemical tests used to detect them in a deceased body. More than 170 years ago, Taylor helped move the field of toxicology away from anecdotal historical stories and established a rigorous, practical framework for presenting courtroom evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I open Taylor\u2019s copy of <em>On Poisons<\/em> very carefully since it is quite literally full of surprises: newspaper clippings, bits of copper wire, fragments of postcards, handwritten notes, and corrections in the margins. As a summer intern, my assignment is to record the content and placement of the bits tucked between its pages. In many libraries, this might be cause for alarm. Someone has written in the book! They’ve stuffed it full of loose papers! But in the Othmer Library\u2019s rare book collection, discoveries like these are cause for excitement. While Taylor’s published books document the conclusions he shared with students, physicians, and courts of law, the notes, corrections, and newspaper clippings he preserved alongside them reveal the work behind those conclusions. Together, his books and manuscripts allow us to see not only what Taylor knew, but also how his scientific knowledge was created, revised, and communicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-science-in-the-classroom\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Science in the Classroom<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"718\" class=\"wp-image-76807 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Guys_Hospital_1831_Wellcome-1024x718.jpg\" alt=\"illustration of the outside of a building and courtyard\" class=\"wp-image-76807\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Guys_Hospital_1831_Wellcome-1024x718.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Guys_Hospital_1831_Wellcome-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Guys_Hospital_1831_Wellcome-768x538.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Guys_Hospital_1831_Wellcome.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An exterior view of Guy\u2019s Hospital from the same year Alfred Swaine Taylor began a series of lectures on medical jurisprudence.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Wellcome Collection<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One place where we can see this is in Taylor’s handwritten lecture manuscripts. These notes were written for a series of lectures he began giving in 1831, when he was appointed to teach medical jurisprudence at Guy’s Hospital, one of London’s teaching hospitals. Even before reading a single page, Taylor\u2019s lecture titles tell us something about how he thought the subject should be taught. He begins with a general history of the field before moving into more specific topics, such as lightning strikes, spontaneous combustion, poisoning, and finally cholera and typhus. Simply looking at the order of the lectures begins to reveal how Taylor organized his courses and what subjects he considered foundational.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"649\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-76809 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/manuscript_edits_alfred_swaine_taylor-649x1024.jpg\" alt=\"handwritten notes on paper\" class=\"wp-image-76809\" style=\"width:550px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/manuscript_edits_alfred_swaine_taylor-649x1024.jpg 649w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/manuscript_edits_alfred_swaine_taylor-190x300.jpg 190w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/manuscript_edits_alfred_swaine_taylor-768x1211.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/manuscript_edits_alfred_swaine_taylor-974x1536.jpg 974w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/manuscript_edits_alfred_swaine_taylor.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 649px) 100vw, 649px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One of Alfred Swaine Taylor\u2019s lectures with evidence of his editing.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even if the handwriting is difficult to decipher (there’s a reason “doctor’s handwriting” became a clich\u00e9!), something else immediately stands out. Words, sentences, and sometimes entire paragraphs have been crossed out and rewritten. Rather than presenting polished knowledge, these pages preserve the process of deciding how best to explain it. Like all good teachers, Taylor was constantly searching for a clearer phrase, a better example, or a more effective way to introduce an idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes Taylor even left reminders to himself. In one lecture on public health and quarantines, for example, he scribbled down the summary of a newspaper report describing a house in St. Giles where 100 people were living in a space only 24 by 20 feet. He also noted his source: the <em>Morning Herald<\/em>, dated August 27, 1831. Little notes like this offer a glimpse of Taylor at work, pulling together ideas from many different sources and weaving current events into his teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taylor continually revised both his lecture notes and his published books, adding new cases and refining explanations as new evidence emerged. Rather than treating his writings as finished products, he treated them as working tools that evolved throughout his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-science-in-the-world\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Science in the World<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same pattern appears in Taylor’s personal copy of <em>On Poisons. <\/em>The copy remained in Taylor\u2019s hands, and over the years, he preserved newspaper clippings, notes, and letters inside it. He even included correspondence about his experiments with copper wire, complete with a piece of the wire itself! How much information can these little scraps give us? Let’s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"968\" class=\"wp-image-76811 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/copper_wire_newspaper_clipping_alfred_swaine_taylor.jpg\" alt=\"newspaper clipping, wire, and handwritten note\" class=\"wp-image-76811\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/copper_wire_newspaper_clipping_alfred_swaine_taylor.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/copper_wire_newspaper_clipping_alfred_swaine_taylor-300x290.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/copper_wire_newspaper_clipping_alfred_swaine_taylor-768x743.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The wire, letter, and newspaper clipping that Alfred Swaine Taylor saved together as evidence of his interest in copper.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tucked into one section, he placed three newspaper clippings: one about a ship whose cargo hold caught fire and sank; one about cotton bales that ignited and burned down a city block; and one about a man whose cart full of bags of rosin became so hot that it exploded. At first glance, they seem like unrelated news stories. But they all describe materials catching fire with no immediately visible cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And where in his book did he place them? Under the chapter on spontaneous combustion. He wasn’t simply saving unusual stories\u2014he was organizing them according to the chemical principles he believed explained them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 wp-block-gallery-7 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"781\" class=\"wp-image-76815 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"76815\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/snakebite_absorbtion_book1_alfred_swaine_taylor.jpg\" alt=\"open book with handwritten note on top of pages\" class=\"wp-image-76815\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/snakebite_absorbtion_book1_alfred_swaine_taylor.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/snakebite_absorbtion_book1_alfred_swaine_taylor-300x234.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/snakebite_absorbtion_book1_alfred_swaine_taylor-768x600.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"781\" class=\"wp-image-76817 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"76817\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chapter_poison_alfred_swaine_taylor.jpg\" alt=\"open book\" class=\"wp-image-76817\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chapter_poison_alfred_swaine_taylor.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chapter_poison_alfred_swaine_taylor-300x234.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/chapter_poison_alfred_swaine_taylor-768x600.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"972\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-76819 js-shi-image-modal\" data-id=\"76819\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/snakebite_absorbtion_alfred_swaine_taylor-972x1024.jpg\" alt=\"newspaper clipping and handwritten note\" class=\"wp-image-76819\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/snakebite_absorbtion_alfred_swaine_taylor-972x1024.jpg 972w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/snakebite_absorbtion_alfred_swaine_taylor-285x300.jpg 285w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/snakebite_absorbtion_alfred_swaine_taylor-768x809.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/snakebite_absorbtion_alfred_swaine_taylor.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 972px) 100vw, 972px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-bottom:30px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.75em;line-height:1.33em\">A newspaper clipping and a handwritten note, both found inside Alfred Swaine Taylor’s copy of <em>On Poisons<\/em>.<br><class=\"has-text-align-left has-text-color\"=\"\" style=\"color:#3c3c3c;font-size:.80em;line-height:1.33em\">Science History Institute<\/class=\"has-text-align-left><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here’s another example: a newspaper clipping about a man who died after a snake bit him while he was eating his lunch. Alongside it is a handwritten note about a woman who died after ingesting a packet of rat poison wrapped in paper. What section did these stories belong in? The chapter on fatal doses and poison absorption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We even catch Taylor in the middle of organizing his evidence. On one newspaper clipping describing the possible drowning of an infant, he first labeled it as \u201cinfanticide\u201d before crossing that out and replacing it with \u201cdrowning.\u201d Rather than preserving only the final category, the clipping preserves the process of deciding where the evidence belonged.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"675\" height=\"1024\" class=\"wp-image-76813 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/drowning_clipping_closeup_alfred_swain_taylor-675x1024.jpg\" alt=\"newspaper clipping in a book\" class=\"wp-image-76813\" style=\"width:550px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/drowning_clipping_closeup_alfred_swain_taylor-675x1024.jpg 675w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/drowning_clipping_closeup_alfred_swain_taylor-198x300.jpg 198w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/drowning_clipping_closeup_alfred_swain_taylor-768x1166.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/drowning_clipping_closeup_alfred_swain_taylor.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alfred Swaine Taylor\u2019s handwritten note showing how he reconsidered the category of this clipping.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The value of these materials lies not only in what they are, but also where Taylor chose to place them. The clippings reveal the world he lived in, while their arrangement reveals how he thought about it. By collecting, comparing, and categorizing reports of accidents, illnesses, and unusual deaths, Taylor was building a framework for understanding their underlying causes. In doing so, he transformed isolated events into evidence that could help explain injury, disease, and death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For archivists and historians, these scraps are valuable not simply because they survived, but because they survived where Taylor left them. Their relationship to the book is evidence in its own right. Remove them from their original context and part of the story disappears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-science-takes-shape\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Science Takes Shape<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"816\" class=\"wp-image-76821 js-shi-image-modal\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aparatus_doodle_alfred_swaine_taylor.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-76821\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aparatus_doodle_alfred_swaine_taylor.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aparatus_doodle_alfred_swaine_taylor-300x245.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/aparatus_doodle_alfred_swaine_taylor-768x627.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><div class=\"shi-gallery__credits\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alfred Swaine Taylor\u2019s doodle of a scientific apparatus in his lecture notes.<\/figcaption><figcaption class=\"shi-gallery__source\">Science History Institute<\/figcaption><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The details preserved in rare book collections may seem small: a crossed-out phrase, a newspaper clipping, or a handwritten correction. Together, however, they allow us to reconstruct the work behind the creation of scientific knowledge. Preserved here at the Othmer Library, Taylor’s books and manuscripts let us witness something that rarely survives publication: the process of deciding what new evidence meant. More than a century later, these traces allow us to watch scientific knowledge take shape\u2014one observation, one revision, and one carefully filed scrap of paper at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:14px\">Featured image: Alfred Swaine Taylor’s copy of <em>On Poisons in Relation to Medical Jurisprudence and Medicine <\/em>(1875), with his handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, and pieces of copper wire found inside.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"shi-core-group-block\" style=\"margin-top:45px;\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\t<div class=\"shi-related shi-wp-block \" style=\"margin-top: 30px\">\n\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"shi-related__title\">You may also like<\/h2>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shi-related__container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a 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knowledge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3170,"featured_media":76801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Science in the Margins | Science History Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alfred Swaine Taylor and the making of toxicological knowledge.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencehistory.org\/collections\/blog\/science-in-the-margins\/\" \/>\n<meta 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