JF Ptak Science Books Quick Post
This fine geological map, illustrating the long paper Memoir illustrative of a general Geological Map of the principal Mountain Chains of Europe, by the Rev. W.D. Conybeare (1787-1857), appeared in Annals of Philosophy, volume 22, 1823, (in multiple numbers for January, February, March, April, May, pp 1-16, 135-149, 210-218, 278-290, 356-359, and extending briefly into Annals of Philosophy, volume 23, September 1823, pp 214-219). The article is extended and fairly comprehensive, being a review of the geology of the mountain ranges of Europe by region, and the map–engraved by Sidney Hall and colored by hand–although somewhat small is very concise and detailed, and appears only eight years after the landmark geological map of Great Britain by William Smith, considered to be the first detailed national-scale geological map (though there is an earlier though not as detailed work on the U.S. by William McClure in 1809). As Conybeare notes on pp 2-3 in this work the foundation of his map was based on the earlier work by Ebel on the geology of the Alps, as well as a smaller general and not much detailed map of the geology of the mountains of Europe in general, the beginning of which reaches back to 1808. He no doubt also relied on Buckland’s work on the Alps in 1821. Conybeare added dramatically to the understanding of this aspect of European geology. [See Bursting the Limits of Time: The Reconstruction of Geohistory in the Age of Revolution, by M. J. S. Rudwick, for an interesting look at geological mapping in the early 19th century.]
