Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • May 15, 2023

Berlin, May 7, 1858. {Alexander von} Humboldt had replied to my letter by a note, saying that he should be happy to see me at 2p.m. . . . There was a clock in sight, and I stayed but half  an    hour . . . .


Having been nearly a year in Europe, I had not kept up my reading of American newspapers, but Humboldt could tell me the latest news, scientifically and politically . . . .It was singular that Humboldt should advise me to use the sextant; it was the first instrument that I ever used, and it is a very difficult one. No young aspirant in science ever left Humboldt’s presence uncheered . . . .


Maria Mitchell met with many well-known, and indeed, famous scientists during her time in Europe. By this time, her charge, Prudence Swift, and long returned to the US and Maria continued to travel throughout Europe, finding people to accompany her as was only appropriate at that time. In a nutshell, von Humboldt (b. 1769) was a world famous geographer, naturalist and explorer most noted for his five volume work Cosmos. I think it goes a long way to illustrating just how well-known Maria Mitchell truly was that von Humboldt, now an elderly man at their meeting, was able to make time and an effort to receive her. He would die just a year later on May 6, 1859.


JNLF

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