Book ID: CBB279509884

Strata: William Smith’s Geological Maps (2020)

unapi

Lavishly illustrated with full-color geological maps, tables of strata, geological cross-sections, photographs, and fossil illustrations from the archives of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, the Geological Society, the London Natural History Museum, and others, Strata provides the first complete presentation of the revolutionary work of nineteenth-century geologist William Smith, the so-called father of English geology. It illustrates the story of his career, from apprentice to surveyor for hire and fossil collector, from his 1799 geological map of Bath and table of strata to his groundbreaking 1815 geological strata map, and from his imprisonment for debt to his detailed stratigraphical county maps.   This sumptuous volume begins with an introduction by Douglas Palmer that places Smith’s work in the context of earlier, concurrent, and subsequent ideas regarding the structure and natural processes of the earth, geographical mapping, and biostratigraphical theories. The book is then organized into four parts, each beginning with four sheets from Smith’s hand-colored, 1815 strata map, accompanied by related geological cross-sections and county maps, and followed by fossil illustrations by Smith contemporary James Sowerby, all organized by strata. Essays between each section explore the aims of Smith’s work and its application in the fields of mining, agriculture, cartography and hydrology. Strata concludes with reflections on Smith’s later years as an itinerant geologist and surveyor, plagiarism by a rival, receipt of the first Wollaston Medal in recognition of his achievements, and the influence of his geological mapping and biostratigraphical theories on the sciences—all of which culminated in the establishment of the modern geological timescale.   Featuring a foreword by Robert Macfarlane, Strata is a glorious testament to the lasting geological and illustrative genius of William Smith, a collection as colossal and awe-inspiring as the layers of the Earth themselves.

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Reviewed By

Review Paul D. Brinkman (2022) Review of "Strata: William Smith’s Geological Maps". Archives of Natural History (pp. 221-221). unapi

Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB279509884/

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Authors & Contributors
Roy W. McIntyre
Rudwick, Martin J.S.
Henderson, Paul
Peter Wigley
Winchester, Simon
Williams, Matt
Concepts
Geology
Fossils
Cartography
Scientific illustration
Historical geology; theory of the earth
Visual representation; visual communication
Time Periods
19th century
18th century
Gilded Age (1870s-1900)
21st century
20th century
17th century
Places
Great Britain
Bath (England)
England
Scotland
Wales
Americas
Institutions
British Museum
Natural History Museum (London, England)
Geological Society of London
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