Description
This sumptuous and comprehensive evaluation showcases Smith's 1815 hand-coloured map, A Delineation of the Strata of England and Wales, with part of Scotland, and illustrates the story of his career, from apprentice to fossil collector and from his 1799 geological map of Bath and table of strata to his detailed stratigraphical county maps.
The introduction places Smith's work in the context of earlier, concurrent and subsequent ideas regarding the structure and natural processes of the earth. The book is then organized into four geographical sections, each beginning with four sheets from the 1815 strata map, accompanied by related geological cross sections and county maps (1819-24), and is followed by displays of Sowerby's fossil illustrations (1816-19) organized by strata. Interleaved between the sections are essays by leading academics that explore the aims of Smith's work, its application in the fields of mining, agriculture, cartography, fossil collecting and hydrology, and its influence on biostratigraphical theories and the science of geology. Concluding the volume are reflections on Smith's later work as an itinerant geologist and surveyor, plagiarism by his rival - President of the Geological Society, George Bellas Greenough - receipt of the first Wollaston Medal in 1831 in recognition of his achievements, and the influence of his geological mapping and biostratigraphical theories on the sciences, culminating in the establishment of the modern geological timescale.
Richly illustrated with highly detailed geological maps and cross-sections, tables of strata, contemporary illustrations and photographed fossil samples, this definitive and accessible reference showcases the revolutionary work of William Smith, son of a blacksmith and 'father of English geology'
About the Author
Oxford University Museum of Natural History Museum holds an unrivalled William Smith collection, including not only his 1815 map and unpublished county maps but also his vast archive of diaries, letters, published works, charts and plans.
Reviews
'Some books are beautiful, others are enlightening. STRATA is both ... It's the best non-fiction book I've read in a long time' - Will Gompertz
'Will no doubt remain as a standard reference work for map collectors, map dealers, librarians and historians of science for many years to come, and will likely become a collector's item in its own right' - International Map Collector's Society
Book Information
ISBN 9780500252475
Author Robert Macfarlane
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 2100g
The introduction places Smith's work in the context of earlier, concurrent and subsequent ideas regarding the structure and natural processes of the earth. The book is then organized into four geographical sections, each beginning with four sheets from the 1815 strata map, accompanied by related geological cross sections and county maps (1819-24), and is followed by displays of Sowerby's fossil illustrations (1816-19) organized by strata. Interleaved between the sections are essays by leading academics that explore the aims of Smith's work, its application in the fields of mining, agriculture, cartography, fossil collecting and hydrology, and its influence on biostratigraphical theories and the science of geology. Concluding the volume are reflections on Smith's later work as an itinerant geologist and surveyor, plagiarism by his rival - President of the Geological Society, George Bellas Greenough - receipt of the first Wollaston Medal in 1831 in recognition of his achievements, and the influence of his geological mapping and biostratigraphical theories on the sciences, culminating in the establishment of the modern geological timescale.
Richly illustrated with highly detailed geological maps and cross-sections, tables of strata, contemporary illustrations and photographed fossil samples, this definitive and accessible reference showcases the revolutionary work of William Smith, son of a blacksmith and 'father of English geology'
About the Author
Oxford University Museum of Natural History Museum holds an unrivalled William Smith collection, including not only his 1815 map and unpublished county maps but also his vast archive of diaries, letters, published works, charts and plans.
Reviews
'Some books are beautiful, others are enlightening. STRATA is both ... It's the best non-fiction book I've read in a long time' - Will Gompertz
'Will no doubt remain as a standard reference work for map collectors, map dealers, librarians and historians of science for many years to come, and will likely become a collector's item in its own right' - International Map Collector's Society
Book Information
ISBN 9780500252475
Author Robert Macfarlane
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 2100g
