Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2009.30 |
Object Name |
Medallion |
Title |
Medallion with Portrait of Alexander von Humboldt |
Artist |
Schütz, S. |
Date |
2006 |
Description |
Obverse: profile portrait of Humboldt. Reverse: unidentified symbol between "ALEXANDER / VON HUMBOLDT / 14.9.1769 6.5.1859" and "S. SCHüTZ 1967" |
Label |
Alexander von Humboldt was a German explorer and naturalist. Born in 1769, he developed a strong interest in botany at an early age. In 1799, he began a five-year journey throughout Central and South America, exploring the Andes and tropical rainforests, studying plants, determining longitudes and latitudes, measuring geomagnetism, observing temperatures and barometric pressures, and noting social and economic conditions in Mexico. After returning to Europe, he observed the fluctuations in the Earth’s geomagnetic field using a magnetometer similar to the one in the APS collections (2009.17). Through his urging, the British government established permanent observation posts in Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. He is perhaps best known for his book Cosmos, which was largely responsible for the popularization of science in the 19th century. Within a few years, the book had been translated into nearly all Western European languages. Humboldt was also famous in America, especially after his journey to the US in 1804. Inspired by his research and travels, explorers and immigrants to the newly opened American West named a number of places after him. This medallion with a portrait of Alexander von Humboldt was presented to the APS in 2006 during the German-American Frontiers of Humanities symposium (GAFOH). GAFOH is jointly sponsored by the APS and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and allows for the exchange of ideas across disciplinary as well as national boundaries, and, at the same time, provides opportunities for future transatlantic collaborations and networking. At the conclusion of the symposium on October 15, 2006, APS Co-executive Officer Richard Dunn presented facsimile copies of the Lewis and Clark journals to Gisela Janetzke, Deputy Secretary General of the Humboldt Foundation. In exchange she presented the Humboldt Medallion to Dunn. |
Dimensions |
D-0.188 Dia-3.125 inches |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society. Gift of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, October 2006. |
Search Terms |
18th century eighteenth century 19th century nineteenth century scientist sculpture |