| Description | Brief listing of exhibits and exhibitors at a Royal Society conversazione, held at Burlington House, London, to celebrate the tercentenary of the birth of Sir Isaac Newton, President of the Royal Society from 1703-1727. Commencing with a note of acknowledgement that 'By courtesy of the President and Council of the Geological Society, their rooms have been opened for this occasion'. The exhibition catalogue is prefaced by a description of Newton's relationship with the Royal Society and has plate illustrations. It concludes with an acknowledgement to the organiser, Edward Neville da Costa Andrade and to the various lenders.
Council Room:
1. The mace of the Royal Society presented by King Charles II in 1663.
2. The charter book of the Royal Society showing the signature of Isaac Newton in 1671.
3. Two portraits of Sir Isaac Newton one by Charles Jervas and the other by J. Vanderbank.
Main Library:
1. The manuscript of the Principia from which the first edition was printed.
2. The original reflecting telescope made by Newton with his own hands in 1671; a rough sketch of the telescope made by him and sent to the Society. Also are exhibited copies of the first, second, third and fourth editions of Newton's Opticks with various translations.
3. The manuscript of Commercium epistolicum (first published in 1712) with copies of the first and second editions.
4. A Staffordshire figure of Newton and a Sevres bust of Newton; plaster statuette from Roubiliac's statue at Trinity College, Cambridge; ivory bust by Cheverton from the sculpture by Roubiliac; plaster facsimile of ivory bust in the Briitish Museum; ivory medallion by Le Marchand; Wedgwood medallions and medals of Newton.
5. An original drawing of the birthplace of Newton at Woolsthorpe in Lincolnshire…specially drawn by Mr. Hanslip Fletcher for the Sunday Times…Dr. Stukeley's drawing of the house in the manuscript of his Memoirs of Newton. Other drawings and paintings of Newton's birthplace are also shown.
6. A solar dial cut I stone made by Newton when a boy: it was taken from th ewal of his birthplace, the Manor House at Woolsthorpe, in 1884.
7. Portrait of Sir Isaac Newton by Sir Godfrey Kneller.
8. Engravings of portraits of Newton.
9. Letter from Newton to Dr. John North…presented to the Royal Society in 1945 by Mr, Roger North, a descendent.
10. Collection of works by and relating to Newton in the Library of the Royal Society.
11. Newton's watch: two rules made of the wood of the apple tree at Woolsthorpe and other relics.
12. A selection of manuscripts and original letters of Newton from collections made by Lord Keynes and Mr. Geoffrey Keynes.
13. Manuscripts and original letters of Newton from the archives of the Royal Society.
14. Mask of Newton's face, which belonged to Roubiliac, from the cast taken after death. Photographs of the monument and tomb-stone of Newton in Westminster Abbey. |