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Dr. Charles Came papers

 Collection
Identifier: D.377

Biographical/Historical note

Dr. Charles Came (1808-1881) was a scientist, lecturer, inventor, astronomer, phrenologist, art historian, and designer of musical instruments. The first white child born in Henrietta, New York, he came from a humble background and had almost no formal education. Neither did his wife, Cynthia, whom he married in 1827.

By the end of his sixty-year career, however, Dr. Came had been nicknamed the "Johnny Appleseed of science" for the large numbers of young men he inspired to careers as scientists. For decades he traveled the Eastern United States from Maine to Ohio in a horse-drawn wagon loaded equipment demonstrating the latest advances in the fields of medicine and technology. From the 1820s to the 1880s he brought news of the telegraph, the electric motor, and the wonders of electrical current to thousands of people. Like many physicians of the time Dr. Came believed in the curative powers of electricity. He built and designed his own friction-based generators with which he claimed to diagnose and cure disease.

Dr. Came was also one of the region's earliest cabinetmakers and also specialized in stenciling. Several of his original designs, patterns, and recipes for paint pigment were discovered in a Pittsford attic in the 1940s, having been stored there for over 70 years. There was also a set of four claw feet which seem to demonstrate an aptitude for wood carving. Dr. Came's great-grandson Walker S. Lee, a Rochester city superintendent of buildings in the 1940s, owned a mahogany table with drop leaves and a finely inlaid chest, both made by his famous ancestor. Dr. Came also produced Hitchcock chairs which are now collectors' items.

Walker S. Lee's grandfather was Walker Leigh, was an Englishman of Scotch ancestry who came to New York at an early age. He married Dr. Came's daughter Amelia and subsequently changed the spelling of his name.

Scope and Contents

The Dr. Charles Came Papers consists primarily of Dr. Came's correspondence to his family and articles written long after his death, demonstrating his legacy in regional history.

Creator

Dates

  • Creation: 1827-1862, 1948-1950

Language of Materials

English

Extent

1 box(es) (1 box and 1 poster)

Access

The Dr. Charles Came 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.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Dr. Charles Came Papers, D.377, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Processing Information

Processed by Eileen Fay; finding aid prepared by Lori Birrell.

Separated Materials

Poster: "Scientific Exhibition! The Lightning Man is Coming!" (Lecture at the Rochester Museum of Arts and Science, Feb. 3, 1948)

This item has been removed from this collection and cataloged separately and added to the Broadside Collection, 2016.

Title
Dr. Charles Came papers
Author
Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections 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

Contact:
Rochester NY 14627-0055 USA