Orr's Circle of the Sciences was a scientific encyclopedia of the 1850s, published in London by William Somerville Orr.
Contents
Orr's Circle of the Sciences was a scientific encyclopedia of the 1850s, published in London by William Somerville Orr.
William S. Orr & Co. was a publisher in Paternoster Row, London. It put out the British Cyclopædia in ten volumes of the 1830s. [1] It also was in business selling engravings (for example the Kenny Meadows illustrations to Shakespeare), [2] and maps, such as a mid-century Cab Fare and Guide Map of London (c. 1853). [3]
The firm was a general commercial publisher, with a specialist area of natural history, and also published periodicals. [4] It was innovative in its use of wood engraving, in its 1838 edition of Paul et Virginie . [5] In children's literature, it published Christoph von Schmid's Basket of Flowers in an English translation of 1848, in partnership with J. B. Müller of Stuttgart. [6]
Orr himself was a publishers' agent from the 1830s, and was a close associate of Robert and William Chambers. [7] He printed a London edition of Chambers's Edinburgh Journal by mid-1832. [8] The arrangement used stereotype plates, and brought the circulation up to 50,000. [9] By 1845 the circulation was declining from its peak, and Orr wrote to Chambers explaining that the market was changing. [10] In 1846 Chambers terminated the arrangement with Orr. [11]
Punch magazine, set up in 1841, brought in Orr to help with distribution to booksellers and news agents. [12] Orr died in 1873. [13]
Orr's Circle of the Sciences was announced first as a part publication, a series in weekly parts, price 2d. beginning 5 January 1854. [14] The series editor was John Stevenson Bushnan, who also wrote the introductory section of the first volume. [15]
| Volume | Year | Title | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1854 | Organic Nature, vol. 1/The Principles of Physiology | On the Nature, Connection, and Uses of the Great Departments of Human Knowledge, John Stevenson Bushnan On the Physiology of Animal and Vegetable Life, John Stevenson Bushnan On the Principal Forms of the Skeleton, Richard Owen On the Principal Forms and Structures of the Teeth, Richard Owen On the Varieties of the Human Species, Robert Gordon Latham [16] [17] |
| 2 | 1854 | The Mathematical Sciences | Simple Arithmetic, Algebra and the Elements of Euclid, John Radford Young Planes, Spherical Trigonometry, Series, Logarithms, and Mensuration, John Francis Twisden Practical Geometry, Alexander Jardine [18] |
| 3 | 1855 | A System of Natural History Vol. 1 Botany and Invertebrated Animals | Botany, Edward Smith Zoology, William Sweetland Dallas [19] |
| 4 | 1855 | Elementary Chemistry | John Scoffern. [20] The author explains in the introduction that the work was based on a revision of William Henry's Treatise on Chemistry. |
| 5 | 1855 | Geology, Mineralogy and Crystallography | Science of Physical Geography and Geology, David Thomas Ansted Crystallography and Mineralogy, Walter Mitchell and James Tennant [21] [22] |
| 6 | 1855 | Organic Nature Vol. III/A System of Natural History Vol. 2 Vertebrate Animals | William Sweetland Dallas; [23] Edward Smith's name is on the title page, but for "Botany". [24] |
| 7 | 1856 | Practical Astronomy, Navigation, Nautical Astronomy and Meteorology | Nautical Astronony and Navigation, John Radford Young Practical Astronomy, Hugh Breen Meteorology, John Scoffern and Edward Joseph Lowe [23] [25] Lowe's participation is mentioned in his Royal Society obituary. [26] |
| 8 | 1856 | Practical Chemistry | Electro-deposition, George Gore Photography, Marcus Sparling Chemistry of Food, translation by Edward Bronner from the German of Jacob Moleschott, Lehre des Nahrungsmittel für das Volk [27] Adulterations of Food, John Scoffern [23] [28] |
| 9 | 1856 | Mechanical Philosophy | Mechanical Laws, Theory of Equilibrium, Mechanical Powers, Statics, Dynamics, and Hydrostatics, Walter Mitchell John Radford Young Mechanical Drawing, Strength of Materials, Construction of Machinery, the Steam Engine, and Textile Machines, John Imray [29] |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
Michael Faraday was an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and electrolysis.
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, James Collinson, Frederic George Stephens and Thomas Woolner who formed a seven-member "Brotherhood" modelled in part on the Nazarene movement. The Brotherhood was only ever a loose association and their principles were shared by other artists of the time, including Ford Madox Brown, Arthur Hughes and Marie Spartali Stillman. Later followers of the principles of the Brotherhood included Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris and John William Waterhouse.
William Whewell was an English polymath, scientist, Anglican priest, philosopher, theologian, and historian of science. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. In his time as a student there, he achieved distinction in both poetry and mathematics.
William Stanley Jevons was an English economist and logician.
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1820.
Eurystomus is a genus of roller, one of the two genera in that family of birds. The name means ‘broad mouth’, from the Greek eurus and stoma.
Chambers's Encyclopaedia was founded in 1859 by William and Robert Chambers of Edinburgh and became one of the most important English language encyclopaedias of the 19th and 20th centuries, developing a reputation for accuracy and scholarliness that was reflected in other works produced by the Chambers publishing company. The encyclopaedia is no longer produced. A selection of illustrations and woodblocks used to produce the first two editions of the encyclopaedia can be seen on a digital resource hosted on the National Museums Scotland website.
John Ramsay McCulloch was a Scottish economist, author and editor, widely regarded as the leader of the Ricardian school of economists after the death of David Ricardo in 1823. He was appointed the first professor of political economy at University College London in 1828. He wrote extensively on economic policy, and was a pioneer in the collection, statistical analysis and publication of economic data.
Francis Bowen was an American philosopher, writer, and educationalist.
Baden Powell, MA FRS FRGS was an English mathematician and Church of England priest. He held the Savilian Chair of Geometry at the University of Oxford from 1827 to 1860. Powell was a prominent liberal theologian who put forward advanced ideas about evolution.
Robert Gordon Latham FRS was an English ethnologist and philologist.
William Chambers of Glenormiston or William Chambers was a Scottish publisher and politician, the brother of Robert Chambers. The brothers were influential in the mid-19th century, in both scientific and political circles.
The Scapegoat (1854–1856) is a painting by William Holman Hunt which depicts the "scapegoat" described in the Book of Leviticus. On the Day of Atonement, a goat would have its horns wrapped with a red cloth – representing the sins of the community – and be driven off.
Eurylaimus is a genus of broadbills found in Southeast Asia. The name means ‘broad throat’, from the Greek eurus and laimos.
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal was a weekly 16-page magazine started by William Chambers in 1832. The first edition was dated 4 February 1832, and priced at one penny. Topics included history, religion, language, and science. William was soon joined as joint editor by his brother Robert, who wrote many of the articles for the early issues, and within a few years the journal had a circulation of 84,000. From 1847 to 1849 it was edited by William Henry Wills. In 1854 the title was changed to Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, and changed again to Chambers's Journal at the end of 1897.
Alexander Jamieson (1782–1850) was a Scottish writer and schoolmaster, now best known as a rhetorician. He has been described as effectively a professional textbook writer. After the failure of his school, he worked as an actuary.
John Stevenson Bushnan (1807–1884) was an English physician and medical writer.
Thomas Turner Tate (1807–1888) was an English mathematical and scientific educator and writer. Largely self-taught, he has been described as "a remarkable pioneer of science and mathematics teaching".
Henry Gardiner Adams (c.1811–1881) was an English druggist and chemist, known as an author and anthologist. He wrote juvenile literature under the pseudonym Nemo.
Frederick Mullett Evans (1803–1870) was an English printer and publisher. He is known for his work as a partner from 1830 in Bradbury & Evans, who printed the works of a number of major novelists, as well as leading periodicals.
