| RefNo | MS/242/36 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from Friedrich Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt to Thomas Young, dated at Paris |
| Date | 26 October 1819 |
| Description | Autographed letter of introduction for [Pierre Simon] Girard, introduced as Member of the Academie des sciences, engineer, Director of the Eaux de Paris. Girard's work on the hydrography of Egypt will be known to Young, and he is ardently desirous of meeting Young.
Humboldt has enjoyed reading Young's hieroglyphic vocabulary and chronology ("An Account of some recent discoveries in hieroglyphical literature, and Egyptian antiquities", 1823). Young will be aware through [Charles] Blagden that [Edme-François] Jomard attempted to claim for himself Young's discovery of the numerical figures at the Institut de France and the Moniteur. Humboldt defended Young's priority by circulating his printed memoire.
Asks Young not to make use of the letter but to trust Humboldt's courage and perserverance to defend his interests and that of science. |
| Language | French |
| Extent | 3p |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA7947 | Young; Thomas (1773 - 1829); physician, physicist and Egyptologist | 1773 - 1829 |
| NA7984 | Humboldt; Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von (1769 - 1859); naturalist and traveller | 1769 - 1859 |