Types of mankind, or, Ethnological researches, based upon the ancient monuments, paintings, sculptures, and crania of races, and upon their natural, geographical, philological and Biblical history / illustrated by selections from the inedited papers of Samuel George Morton and by additional contributions from L. Agassiz, W. Usher, and H.S. Patterson ; by J.C. Nott and Geo. R. Gliddon.

  • Nott, Josiah C. (Josiah Clark), 1804-1873.
Date:
1860
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Types of mankind, or, Ethnological researches, based upon the ancient monuments, paintings, sculptures, and crania of races, and upon their natural, geographical, philological and Biblical history / illustrated by selections from the inedited papers of Samuel George Morton and by additional contributions from L. Agassiz, W. Usher, and H.S. Patterson ; by J.C. Nott and Geo. R. Gliddon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/800 (page 10)
    printed papers of Morton in onr several possession. Before doing so, however, we conceived it to be due to Mrs. Morton and her home-circle, to inquire by letter, if such proceeding would obtain their sanction; and also whether, in Mrs. Morton’s opinion, there were among*, the Doctor’s manuscripts any that might be eligibly embodied in our pro- posed articles. The graceful readiness with which our proffer was met is best exemplified by the fact that Dr. Nott and myself received im- mediately, by express from Philadelphia, a mass of Dr. Morton’s auto- graphs on scientific themes, together with such books and papers as were deemed suitable for our purposes. On a subsequent visit to Philadelphia, I was permitted to select from the Doctor’s shelves whatever was held to be appropriate to our studies; and, while this book has been passing through the press, the whole of Dr. Mor- ton’s correspondence with the scientific world was entrusted to Dr. Patterson and myself for mutual reference. But, the unbounded confidence with which we have been honored, whilst most precious to our feelings, enhances greatly our responsibility. Actuated, indi- vidually, by the sole desire to render justice to our beloved friend, each of us has executed his part of the task to the best of his ability; at the same time we can emphatically declare that, until the pages of our work were stereotyped, no member of Dr. Morton’s family was cognizant of their verbal contents. Thus much it is my privilege to testify, in order that, if any of the writers have erred in their concep- tions of Morton’s scientific opinions, the onus of such inadvertence may fall upon themselves exclusively. Nevertheless, the singleness of purpose and harmony of method with which Dr. Nott, Dr. Patter- son, and myself, have striven to fulfil our pledges, are guarantees that no erroneous interpretations, if any such exist, can have arisen intentionally. Throughout this volume, Morton speaks for himself. The receipt at Mobile of such welcome accretions to our ethno- graphical stock prompted a change of plan. In lieu of ephemeral notices in a Review, Dr. Nott united with me in the projection of “ Types of Mankind ” ; the scope of which has daily grown larger, in the ratio of the facilities with which we have been signally favored. On the first printed announcement of our intention [New Orleans, December, 1852], the interest manifested among the friends of science was such, that, by March, I counted nearly 500 subscriptions in furtherance of the work. rrof. Agassiz’s very opportune visit to Mobile during April, 1853, led to a contribution from his own pen that bases the Natural History of mankind upon a principle heretofore unanticipated. Dr. Usher kindly volunteered a synopsis of the geological and palse- ontological features of human history; and Dr. Patterson, fellow-