Henry Augustus Ward papers
Biographical / Historical note
Henry Augustus Ward, scientist, explorer, museum builder and founder of the Ward's Natural Science Establishment, was born in Rochester, New York in 1834. He studied at Middlebury Academy, Williams College, Temple Hill Academy and Paris School of Mines. In 1860 he returned to Rochester after many years of collecting geological specimens in Europe and Africa. From 1861 to 1875 he taught natural science at the University of Rochester, although he was not actively teaching throughout that period. In 1862, he began to supply colleges and universities with geological cabinets. This work was the beginning of the Ward's Natural Science Establishment. Ward later became interested in meteorites and built up a large collection before his death in 1906.
Scope and Contents
The Henry Augustus Ward Papers contain indexed correspondence from many famous contemporary scientists, and letters from P. T. Barnum, for whom Ward did much work including the stuffing of Jumbo the elephant. There are also family letters, travel diaries, photographs, catalogs from the Science Establishment and material relating to Ward's meteorite collections.
Creator
- Ward, Henry A. (Henry Augustus), 1834-1906 (Person)
- Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891 (Person)
Dates
- Creation: 1840-1933
Language of Materials
English
Extent
28 box(es) (21 boxes of correspondence, 7 boxes of photographs)
Access
The Henry Augustus Ward Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.
Use
In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Papers were the gift of Roswell Ward, 1938.
Preferred Citation
[Item title, item date], Henry Augustus Ward Papers, A.W23, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Processing Information
Boxes 8-10 were processed by Naomi Ruetz in 2016. Boxes 22-24 were processed by Kristen Watson and Brandon Zimmerman in 2016.
Subject
- Ward, Henry A. (Henry Augustus), 1834-1906 (Person)
- Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891 (Person)
- Ward's Natural Science Establishment, inc. (Organization)
- Title
- Henry Augustus Ward papers
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by RBSCP staff
- Date
- undated
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Library Details
Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library