100 YEARS AGO

A few weeks ago the new anthropological collections in the American Museum of Natural History in New York were opened to the public, and these valuable collections now occupy five halls, and others are being provided. We learn from our contemporary, Science, that the accessions to the anthropological collections of the museum obtained during the last three years have largely been due to extended scientific research undertaken by the institution. . . an endeavour has been made to build up representative collections and to obtain, at the same time, the fullest and most detailed information in regard to specimens, so that each addition to the exhibit of the museum can be made thoroughly instructive and will represent a material contribution to science. There is no doubt this is the best way to build up a museum, and it is to be deplored that various museums of the British Islands do not follow the example so worthily set by this and other American museums. Our English method is rather to wait like a spider in its web in the hope that something will eventually be caught . . . we are content with occasional specimens which usually have no history, or at most a very imperfect one, and for these we often have to pay a stiff profit to a dealer.

From Nature 20 December 1900.

50 YEARS AGO

For one of the staff — one of the “working staff” as Sir James Dewar used to call us — to be asked to give a Friday Evening Discourse is, I think, quite without precedent and I am very conscious of the honour the Managers have conferred on me in inviting me to give a talk about fifty years in the service of the Royal Institution. According to tradition, on one occasion many years ago, a Friday Evening lecturer had a sudden attack of stage fright at the last moment and, being unattended, fled. Fortunately, Faraday was present and stepped into the breach. So that there should be no recurrence of a similar catastrophe, every Friday evening someone waits outside with the lecturer to ensure that he enters this theatre as the clock strikes. For many years that has been one of my duties; but to-night the position has been reversed and I have been the guarded one. I can assure you I have every sympathy with Wheatstone, the one that ran away. Ralph Cory, Librarian of the Institution.

From Nature 23 December 1950.