Taming the Leviathan
Contributing to a blog named ‘Serendipity’ seems very appropriate today.
As I went into the archive stacks this morning, with my list of reference numbers, ready to find some correspondence between Sir D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson and a trawler owner in Aberdeen, I picked up the wrong box and found something very interesting, completely by accident.
As I looked into the box to try and find correspondence regarding the closure of the Moray Firth and the fitting of a research vessel, I discovered a collection of 17th - 18th century correspondence relating to marine biology and physics.
The documents are a mixture of Latin, French and German correspondence, and all seem to be related to scientists such as Charles Spon, Erasmus Bartholin and Tilesius.
One of the most beautiful finds in this bundle of documents are some fabulous drawings by Tilesius (1769 - 1857) who was a well respected scientist and engraver. Within his documents, are drawings of sea anemones and jelly fish.
To enter an archive, pick up a box by accident, and find forgotten documents and drawings spanning 400 years…Serendipity indeed.