THE MAN WHO COINED THE TERM ‘EUGENICS’ AND THE PHRASE ‘NATURE VERSUS NUTURE’ MOURNS THE LOSS OF THE AUTHOR WHO GAVE THE WORLD MIDDLEMARCH AND SILAS MARNER: “GEORGE ELLIOT IS JUST GONE!”
HE ALSO UNDERTOOK THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF FINGERPRINTS MAKING THEIR USE POSSIBLE IN CRIMINAL CASES
GALTON, FRANCIS. (1822-1911). British scientist who pioneered eugenics and scientific meteorology; was the first to place the study of fingerprints on a scientific basis and so laid the groundwork for their use in criminal cases; Fellow Royal Society; half-cousin of Charles Darwin. Interesting and uncommon Autograph Letter Signed, “Francis Galton”, on a large octavo leaf. “Rutland Gate S.W. [London], December 30, 1880”. [also contains a fragment of a letter from his wife, bearing her signature “Louisa Galton” on overleaf.] To “My Dear Miss North”. Galton writes:
“My dear Miss North, We were rejoiced to hear from you and we followed you on the map and envied your vigor and enterprise. I really think the only novelty since you left are these stylographic pens, which carry their own ink and enough of it for hours of writing and require no blotting paper. They make life distinctly more pleasant. George Elliot is just gone! I was not at the funeral. It rained heavily and some what marred the effect. She had expressed a wish or rather a desire, to be buried in the Abbey, but her friends talked it over and thought it not advisable to apply to the Dean. There are no photographs of her, I believe. Your friend Mr. Burton of the National Gallery appeared again, a few days ago, at the Athenaeum. He had been some time in Italy, and declares his belief that Mr. Street is wrong about the pavement of St. Marks in Venice having been originally laid down in that curious wave-like surface that it now has. He looked particularly at the larger slabs and found that many of them were cracked across at their most convex or concave part ~|~|~ thus and so he ascribes the effect to subsidence of the ground. But Street asserts that the pavement is up & down while the walls by their side are undisturbed, which does not look like subsidence. People are becoming very excited about Ireland being unchecked. Mr. Forster speaks strongly about it to his friends, not at all assenting to the views of the Cabinet. He says that he perfectly knows who the murderer of Lord Mountmorres is, but can do nothing against him under the present state of affairs. You will hear telegraphic accounts of Gladstone’s measure & of his facts, long before this reaches you so I will not send more current gossip. I have only space now to wish you very heartily a most happy New Year and to assure you that I very often look back to the happy days Louisa & I used to spend at Hastings Lodge, and think of all the kindness & goodness of your Father. Sincerely Ys Francis Galton”
$1500.00