Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • September 18, 2017

Edinburgh, Sept. 30 {1857}


My dear Father,


. . . Nothing is more provoking than the ignorance of the English about Americans. I really doubt if they would know who Benjamin Franklin was, if I should speak of him. They are really too full of their own greatness to perceive that there is another great nation. Mr. Airy understands that the Bonds are astronomers, but I dare say Mrs. Prof. Smyth never heard of them, tho’ of course Prof. Smyth has the transactions. And yet, no observatory has such instruments as Harvard . . .


Despite the fact that the Bonds and the Harvard College Observatory really were among the best in the world, their counterparts in Europe barely knew them – or at least barely acknowledged them. Such a factor played a large role in how long it took for Maria to be recognized as indeed the discoverer of her comet in 1847. The Bonds were among the first to photograph the stars and they entrusted Maria with such a glass plate photograph to bring on her trip to Europe. She would give this plate to Sir George Airy on her visit to him. Airy was the Astronomer Royal of England (Charles Piazzi Smyth was Scotland’s Astronomer Royal) and though her first impressions were somewhat strong as you have noted above, she would carry on a lifelong friendship with Sir George Airy and his wife, Richarda.


JNLF

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