Article ID: CBB001213897

James Sowerby: Meteorites and His Meteoritic Sword Made for the Emperor of Russia, Alexander I, in 1814 (2013)

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James Sowerby included meteorites in his publications of British and exotic natural history and so raised interest in their nature and origins at a time of much debate and involving the President of the Royal Society, Sir Joseph Banks. The celebrations over the defeat of France in 1814 prompted Sowerby to make a sword from the Cape of Good Hope iron meteorite to present to the Russian Emperor, Alexander I, at the time of his state visit to London in June 1814 and in recognition of his achievements in bringing peace to Europe. The story of its attempted presentation, its final reception and the following response, including publications, all helped to increase interest in meteorites and their properties. The rediscovery of the sword after a lengthy disappearance probably brings an unusual saga to a fitting close.

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Authors & Contributors
Burnet, Ian
Musgrave, Toby
Nikiforova, Natalia
Henderson, Paul
Fairman, Elisabeth R.
Elina, Olga
Concepts
Natural history
Science and technology, relationships
Technology
Comets; meteors; meteorites
Nature and its relationship to culture; human-nature relationships
Travel; exploration
Time Periods
19th century
18th century
20th century, early
20th century
17th century
16th century
Places
Russia
Great Britain
United States
South Africa
Latin America
Germany
Institutions
Sankt-Peterburgskii Akademia Nauk
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (University of California, Berkeley)
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
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