Natural Philosophy in Context

How did this object end up in Professor Frederick Hall's collection of scientific instruments at Middlebury college in the early 1800’s? At this period in time, Natural Philosophy as a subject was well established in Europe. By 1700, several important texts about the Earth as a system had been written. In addition to Galileo's 1638 book Two New Sciences about falling bodies, geologic time periods were covered by Thomas Burnet’s Sacred Theory of the Earth in the 1680’s, Athanasius Kircher’s 1665 Subterranean World contained maps showing ocean currents and explained volcanoes and other underground phenomena (Principe). European scientists were significantly more accomplished in the natural sciences than American ones. Scientists from the United States would take tours overseas and witness what Europe had to offer in the ways of scientific discoveries. England and Scotland had a variety of scientists that began to market their discoveries as useful tools, such as the makers William and Harris and Co and Isabelle Lovi. Hall obtained much of his collection from these crafters.

Hall could have very well stayed in Europe where they were ahead of the times in Natural Philosophy. However, it is important that he came back home with his objects he obtained for two reasons. First, these objects aided in teaching students how to study nature experimentally. Second, they made nature more documentable which, in turn, could make land more accessible. The camera lucida was likely a key instrument in both of these endeavors, as surveying the landscape was both a class at Middlebury and a profession during this time period. This was important at the time period in the when there were thousands of virtually untouched miles that the US government still had to explore. And explore them they would, employing some of Hall’s very own students, such as Edwin James and Henry Roe Schoolcraft, on expeditions

The camera lucida was an interesting instrument that aimed to merge art and science in order to document unknown territories. were omitted for clarity. It shows that Natural Philosophy emphasized teaching others and seeking out the ways it could connect audiences with nature.