The Invention of Nature (52 page)

The biggest thank you goes to my super-smart best and oldest friend Julia-Niharika Sen who worked through the entire manuscript, word by word, again and again – taking it apart and then helping me to put it together again. And thank you for coming with me to Ecuador and Venezuela – spending your holidays following Humboldt’s footsteps. Instead of beaches and cocktails, there were tarantulas and altitude sickness. Standing together with you at 5,000 metres on Chimborazo was one of the best moments of my life. We did it! Thank you for being there. Always. I could have not written this book without you.

This book is dedicated to my wonderful and clever daughter Linnéa who had to live with Humboldt for a long time. Thank you for being the best of all daughters. You make me complete. And happy.

Illustration Credits

Illustrations within the text

© Alamy: 2.3, 12.2/Interfoto; 14.2/Heritage Image Partnership Ltd; 17.2/Lebrecht Music and Arts Photo Library. René Binet, Esquisses Décoratives (c.1905): 22.4 left. © bpk/Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin: 15.2. Catalogue souvenir de l’Exposition Universelle 1900 Paris: 22.2 left. © Collection of Museo Nacional de Colombia/Registro1204/photo Oscar Monsalve: 7.2/Alexander von Humboldt, Geografia de las plantas cerca del Ecuador (1803). Courtesy of Concord Museum, Massachusetts: 19.1, 19.2. Ernst-Haeckel-Haus, Jena: 22.1. Herman Klencke, Alexander von Humboldt’s Leben und Wirken, Reisen und Wissen (1870):1.1, 3.3, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 7.1, 16.1, 16.2, 20.4. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington DC: 3.2, 8.2, 21.1, 23.4. By permission of the Linnean Society of London: 3.1/Martin Hendriksen Vahl, Symbolae Botanicae (1790–4); 22.3 right, 22.5 right/Ernst Haeckel, Kunstformen der Natur (1899–1904). Benjamin C. Maxham: 19.3/daguerreotype, 1856. Ministerio de Cultura del Ecuador, Quito: 3.4. John Muir Papers/Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library, Stockton, California © 1984 Muir-Hanna Trust and courtesy of The Bancroft Library/University of California, Berkeley: 23.1, 23.2, 23.3. Private Collections: 4.3, 9.1, 20.3. © Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin: 10.1. Wellcome Library, London: prl.img1, 4.2, 7.3, 8.1, 12.1/Alexander von Humboldt, Vues des Cordillères, 2 vols (1810–13); prl.img2/Heinrich Berghaus, The Physical Atlas (1845); 1.2; 1.3/Alexander von Humboldt, Versuch über die gereizte Muskel-und Nervenfaser (1797); 2.1; 2.2; 4.1; 6.1, 6.2, 8.3/Alcide D. d’Orbingy, Voyage pittoresque dans les deux Amériques (1836); 9.2; 9.3; 9.4; 10.2; 11.1; 13.1, 14.1, 20.3/Traugott Bromme, Atlas zu Alex. v. Humboldt’s Kosmos (1851); 13.2; 15.1; 16.3; 17.1/Charles Darwin, Journal of Researches (1902); 17.3/Charles Darwin, Journal of Researches (1845); 18.1; 20.1/E.T. Hamy, Aimé Bonpland, médecin et naturaliste, explorateur de l’Amérique du Sud (1906); 20.2.

Colour plates

© Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin: ins.5 above/akg-images. © Alamy: ins.6 below/Stocktreck Images Inc; ins.11 below/FineArt; ins.13 below/Pictorial Press Ltd; ins.15 below/World History Archive. © bpk/Stiftung Preussische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg: ins.12 above/photo Gerhard Murza. © Humboldt-Universität Berlin: ins.7/Alexander von Humboldt, Geographie der Pflanzen in den Tropen-Ländern, ein Naturgemälde der Anden (1807), photo Bridgeman Images. By permission of the Linnean Society of London: ins.14 above/Ernst Haeckel, Kunstformen der Natur (1899–1904). Wellcome Library, London: ins.1, ins.3, ins.8 above/Alexander von Humboldt, Vues des Cordillères (1810–13); ins.9 below/Traugott Bromme, Atlas zu Alex. v. Humboldt’s Kosmos (1851); ins.10 above/Heinrich Berghaus, The Physical Atlas (1845).

Notes

Abbreviations: People and Archives

AH: Alexander von Humboldt

BL: British Library, London

Caroline Marsh Journal, NYPL: Crane family papers. Manuscripts and Archives Division. The New York Public Library. Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations

CH: Caroline von Humboldt

CUL: Scientific Manuscripts Collections, Department of Manuscripts & University Archives, University Library, Cambridge

DLC: Library of Congress, Washington DC

JM online: Online collection of John Muir Papers. Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, ©1984 Muir-Hanna Trust

MHT: Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library, Stockton, California, © 1984 Muir-Hanna Trust

NYPL: New York Public Library

RS: Royal Society, London

Stabi Berlin NL AH: Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Nachl. Alexander von Humboldt (Humboldt Manuscript Collection)

TJ: Thomas Jefferson

UVM: George Perkins Marsh Collection, Special Collections, University of Vermont Library

WH: Wilhelm von Humboldt

Abbreviations: The Works of Alexander von Humboldt

AH Althaus Memoirs 1861: Briefwechsel und Gespräche Alexander von Humboldt’s mit einem jungen Freunde, aus den Jahren 1848 bis 1856

AH Ansichten 1808: Ansichten der Natur mit wissenschaftlichen Erläuterungen

AH Ansichten 1849: Ansichten der Natur mit wissenschaftlichen Erläuterungen, third and extended edition

AH Arago Letters 1907: Correspondance d’Alexandre de Humboldt avec François Arago (1809–1853)

AH Aspects 1849: Aspects of Nature, in Different Lands and Different Climates, with Scientific Elucidations

AH Berghaus Letters 1863: Briefwechsel Alexander von Humboldt’s mit Heinrich Berghaus aus den Jahren 1825 bis 1858

AH Bessel Letters 1994: Briefwechsel zwischen Alexander von Humboldt und Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel

AH Böckh Letters 2011: Alexander von Humboldt und August Böckh. Briefwechsel

AH Bonpland Letters 2004: Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland. Correspondance 1805–1858

AH Bunsen Letters 2006: Briefe von Alexander von Humboldt and Christian Carl Josias Bunsen

AH Central Asia 1844: Central-Asien. Untersuchungen über die Gebirgsketten und die vergleichende Klimatologie

AH Cordilleras 1814: Researches concerning the Institutions & Monuments of the Ancient Inhabitants of America with Descriptions & Views of some of the most Striking Scenes in the Cordilleras!

AH Cordilleren 1810: Pittoreske Ansichten der Cordilleren und Monumente americanischer Völker

AH Cosmos 1845–52: Cosmos: Sketch of a Physical Description of the Universe

AH Cosmos 1878: Muir’s copy of Cosmos: A Sketch of a Physical Description of the Universe

AH Cosmos Lectures 2004: Alexander von Humboldt. Die Kosmos–Vorträge 1827/28

AH Cotta Letters 2009: Alexander von Humboldt und Cotta. Briefwechsel

AH Cuba 2011: Political Essay on the Island of Cuba. A Critical Edition

AH Diary 1982: Lateinamerika am Vorabend der Unabhängigkeitsrevolution: eine Anthologie von Impressionen und Urteilen aus seinen Reisetagebüchern

AH Diary 2000: Reise durch Venezuela. Auswahl aus den Amerikanischen Reisetagebüchern

AH Diary 2003: Reise auf dem Río Magdalena, durch die Anden und Mexico

AH Dirichlet Letters 1982: Briefwechsel zwischen Alexander von Humboldt und P.G. Lejeune Dirichlet

AH du Bois-Reymond Letters 1997: Briefwechsel zwischen Alexander von Humboldt und Emil du Bois-Reymond

AH Fragments Asia 1832: Fragmente einer Geologie und Klimatologie Asiens

AH Friedrich Wilhelm IV Letters 2013: Alexander von Humboldt. Friedrich Wilhelm IV. Briefwechsel

AH Gauß Letters 1977: Briefwechsel zwischen Alexander von Humboldt und Carl Friedrich Gauß

AH Geography 1807: Ideen zu einer Geographie der Pflanzen nebst einem Naturgemälde der Tropenländer

AH Geography 2009: Essay on the Geography of Plants

AH Kosmos 1845–50: Kosmos. Entwurf einer physischen Weltbeschreibung

AH Letters 1973: Die Jugendbriefe Alexander von Humboldts 1787–1799

AH Letters America 1993: Briefe aus Amerika 1799–1804

AH Letters Russia 2009: Briefe aus Russland 1829

AH Letters USA 2004: Alexander von Humboldt und die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika. Briefwechsel

AH Mendelssohn Letters 2011: Alexander von Humboldt. Familie Mendelssohn. Briefwechsel

AH New Spain 1811: Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain

AH Personal Narrative 1814–29: Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent during the years 1799–1804

AH Personal Narrative 1907: Muir’s copy of Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent during the years 1799–1804

AH Schumacher Letters 1979: Briefwechsel zwischen Alexander von Humboldt und Heinrich Christian Schumacher

AH Spiker Letters 2007: Alexander von Humboldt. Samuel Heinrich Spiker. Briefwechsel

AH Varnhagen Letters 1860: Letters of Alexander von Humboldt to Varnhagen von Ense

AH Views 1896: Muir’s copy of Views of Nature

AH Views 2014: Views of Nature

AH WH Letters 1880: Briefe Alexander’s von Humboldt und seinen Bruder Wilhelm

Terra 1959: ‘Alexander von Humboldt’s Correspondence with Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin’

Abbreviations: General

Darwin Beagle Diary 2001: Beagle Diary

Darwin Correspondence: The Correspondence of Charles Darwin

Goethe AH WH Letters 1876: Goethe’s Briefwechsel mit den Gebrüdern von Humboldt

Goethe Correspondence 1968–76: Goethes Briefe

Goethe Diary 1998–2007: Johann Wolfgang Goethe: Tagebücher

Goethe Eckermann 1999: Johannn Peter Eckermann, Gespräche mit Goethe in den Letzten Jahren seines Lebens

Goethe Encounters 1965–2000: Goethe Begegnungen und Gespräche, ed. Ernst Grumach and Renate Grumach

Goethe Humboldt Letters 1909: Goethes Briefwechsel mit Wilhelm und Alexander v. Humboldt, ed. Ludwig Geiger

Goethe Letters 1980–2000: Briefe an Goethe, Gesamtausgabe in Regestform, ed. Karl Heinz Hahn

Goethe Morphologie 1987: Johann Wolfgang Goethe. Schriften zur Morphologie

Goethe Natural Science 1989: Johann Wolfgang Goethe. Schriften zur Allgemeinen Naturlehre, Geologie und Mineralogie, ed. Wolf von Engelhardt and Manfred Wenzel

Goethe’s Day 1982–96: Goethes Leben von Tag zu Tag: Eine Dokumentarische Chronik, ed. Robert Steiger

Goethe’s Year 1994: Johann Wolfgang Goethe. Tag-und Jahreshefte, ed. Irmtraut Schmid

Haeckel Bölsche Letters 2002: Ernst Haeckel–Wilhelm Bölsche. Briefwechsel 1887–1919, ed. Rosemarie Nöthlich

Madison Papers SS: The Papers of James Madison: Secretary of State Series, ed. David B. Mattern
et al.

Muir Journal 1867–8, JM online: John Muir, Manuscript Journal ‘The “thousand mile walk” from Kentucky to Florida and Cuba, September 1867–February 1868’, MHT

Muir Journal ‘Sierra’, summer 1869 (1887), MHT: John Muir, Manuscript ‘Sierra Journal’, vol.1: summer 1869, notebook, circa 1887, MHT

Muir Journal ‘Sierra’, summer 1869 (1910), MHT: John Muir, ‘Sierra Journal’, vol.1: summer 1869, typescript, circa 1910, MHT

Muir Journal ‘World Tour’, pt.1, 1903, JM online: John Muir, Manuscript Journal, ‘World Tour’, pt.1, June–July 1903, MHT

Schiller and Goethe 1856: Briefwechsel zwischen Schiller und Goethe in den Jahren 1794–1805

Schiller Letters 1943–2003: Schillers Werke: Nationalausgabe. Briefwechsel, ed. Julius Petersen and Gerhard Fricke

Thoreau Correspondence 1958: The Correspondence of Henry David Thoreau, ed. Walter Harding and Carl Bode

Thoreau Excursion and Poems 1906: The Writings of Henry David Thoreau: Excursion and Poems

Thoreau Journal 1906: The Writings of Henry David Thoreau: Journal, ed. Bradford Torrey

Thoreau Journal 1981–2002: The Writings of Henry D. Thoreau: Journal, ed. Robert Sattelmeyer
et al.

Thoreau Walden 1910: Walden

TJ Papers RS: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series, ed. Jeff Looney
et al.

WH CH Letters 1910–16: Wilhelm und Caroline von Humboldt in ihren Briefen, ed. Familie von Humboldt

1 Description AH Chimborazo climb: AH to WH, 25 November 1802, AH WH Letters 1880, p.48; AH, About an Attempt to Climb to the Top of Chimborazo, Kutzinski 2012, pp.135–55; AH, 23 June 1802, AH Diary 2003, vol.2, pp.100–109.

2 signs of organic life disappeared: AH to WH, 25 November 1802, AH WH Letters 1880, p.49.

3 ‘trapped inside an air’: AH, About an Attempt to Climb to the Top of Chimborazo, Kutzinski 2012, p.143.

4 a ‘magnificent sight’: Ibid., p.142.

5 size of crevasse: AH gave different measurements: for example, 400 feet deep and 60 feet wide in ibid., p.142.

6 AH measured altitude: 5917.16m – AH, 23 June 1802, AH Diary 2003, vol.2, p.106.

7 AH and Napoleon: Ralph Waldo Emerson to John F. Heath, 4 August 1842, Emerson 1939, vol.3, p.77.

8 ‘half an American’: Rossiter Raymond, 14 May 1859, AH Letters USA 2004, p.572.

9 ‘a Cartesian vortex’: AH to Karl August Varnhagen, 31 July 1854, Humboldt Varnhagen Letters 1860, p.235.

10 ‘three things at’: AH, quoted in Leitzmann 1936, p.210.

11 ‘love of nature’: Arnold Henry Guyot, 2 June 1859, Humboldt Commemorations, Journal of the American Geographical and Statistical Society, vol.1, no.8, October 1859, p.242; Rachel Carson’s The Sense of Wonder, 1965.

12 nature and feeling: AH to Goethe, 3 January 1810, Goethe Humboldt Letters 1909, p.305.

13 ‘run through the’: Matthias Jacob Schleiden, 14 September 1869, Jahn 2004.

14 ‘whose eyes are natural’: Ralph Waldo Emerson, notes for Humboldt speech on 14 September 1869, Emerson 1960–92, vol.16, p.160.

15 ‘In this great chain’: AH Geography 2009, p.79; AH Geography 1807, p.39.

16 climate change: AH Personal Narrative 1814–29, vol.4, p.140ff.; AH, 4 March 1800, AH Diary 2000, p.216.

17 ecological functions of forest: AH, September 1799, AH Diary 2000, p.140; AH Aspects 1849, vol.1, pp.126–7; AH Views 2014, p.83; AH Ansichten 1849, vol.1, p.158; AH Personal Narrative 1814–29, vol.4, p.477.

18 ‘future generations’: AH Personal Narrative 1814–29, vol.4, p.143.

19 ‘one of the greatest’: Thomas Jefferson to Carlo de Vidua, 6 August 1825, AH Letters USA 2004, p.171.

20 ‘nothing ever stimulated’: Darwin to Alfred Russel Wallace, 22 September 1865, Darwin Correspondence, vol.13, p.238.