Guide to the Papers of William Alexander Osborne
MS 5907
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- William Alexander Osborne
- Title
- Papers of William Alexander Osborne
- Date Range
- 1602-1892
- Collection Number
- MS 5907
- Extent
- 0.18 metres (1 archives box)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1388295) for the access conditions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of William Alexander Osborne, National Library of Australia, MS 5907, [item number]'.
Item Descriptions
Justinus, Marcus Junianus (Item 1)
Trogi Pompeii historiarum philippicarum epitoma 1602 372p (or 388 with index). Covered later in vellum, slightly buckled.
Signed by Isaac Newton with bookplate
Later(?) owned by Rev. Carol Huggins, Oxford
Varenius, Bernhard (Item 2)
Geographia generalis 2nd ed. Cambridge, 1681.
Edited by Isaac Newton. Could have belonged to Isaac Newton, same bookplate as above book. Notes about the coat of arms on the bookplate also included. Leather binding, spine detached and shrunken.
Abernethy, John, 1764-1831 (Item 3)
A.L.S. undated. 1p (3 lines) to Mr Clift(?): "Admit Doctor Watson and Mr Hanbury(?) to view the College Museum on Friday at 2 o'clock".
Banks, Sir Joseph, 1743-1820 (Item 4)
A.L.S. 24/11/1817 to ? (1½). About a geological specimen and how Banks' geological friends discussed what it could be.
Banks, Sir Joseph, 1743-1820 (Item 5)
Part of a letter to Sam Tyson (?) Oxford. Some informal chat, hoping to see Tyson and wanting to be remembered to his wife. Torn.
Darwin, Charles (Item 6)
A.L.S. undated (3/2/1866) to Frederick William Farrar, a Fellow of the Royal Society, about being elected as office bearer of Royal Society and Darwin's recommendation. Fold tears.
Davy, Sir Humphrey, 1778-1829 (Item 7)
A.L.S. 1812, 3p. 40. To McDonnel(?) Discussing Davy's lectures and literary work and thanking him for his geological information. Also page (from book?) with picture of Davy.
Faraday, Michael, 1791-1867 (Item 8)
A.L.S. 2/2/1863 1p., 80. To Duchess of Northumberland, thanking her for her kindness in granting him a favour.
Herschel, Sir William, 1738-1822 (Item 9)
A.L.S. 20/4/1806. 1p. 80, to ?. About his observations on Saturn, and wanting to know the latest he can give in a paper on his observations.
Huxley, Thomas Henry (Item 10)
A.L.S. "Saturday", 2p., to Mrs Burton(?) accepting an invitation to dinner and saying he would prefer woodcocks. Cartoon on back depicting Huxley choosing woodcocks. Fold tears.
Huxley, Thomas Henry (Item 11)
A.L.S. 8/4/1879, 3p. to Mr Burton (?). Social chat, plus a hypothesis on the magnitude of the pain of lumbago in proportion to the size of a mammoth, should it have lumbago.
Huxley, Thomas Henry (Item 12)
Sonnet (1p.) written by Professor Huxley to a friend named Fanny on the day before her wedding, 20/12/1852.
Signed "T.H.H. (his first, last and only sonnet)".
Owen, Sir Richard, 1804-1892 (Naturalist) (Item 13)
A.L.S. 1853 2p. 40. To Mr Lewes (?) About the differences between marsupials and monotremes and his observations on their anatomy.
Nasmyth, James (Steam engineer, 1808-1890) (Item 14)
A.L.S. 1840 1p. 40 to ? Talks about an invitation to stay.
Sloane, Sir Hans, 1660-1753 (Physician) (Item 15)
A.L.S. 1710, 1p. 40 to ? About some papers and transactions sent to recipient. Pasted on backing.
Spencer, Herbert (Item 16)
A.L.S. 1892 2p. 80, to Mr Austen, about the German Pension Scheme and about Mr Mann Jones' request for some pages in Austen*s magazine to write about it.
Watt, James, 1736-1819 (Item 17)
A.L.S. 1794, 4p. 40. To Dr E. Darwin (Physician) about the death of Watt's child and his philosophical thoughts on the tragedy. Watt is contemplating medical research, and puts forward proposals for experiments on extracting, washing and collecting "poisonous and medicinal airs". Mentions an "abominable law suit", and plans to go away for a seaside holiday.