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Babson College's Grace K. Babson Collection of the Works of Sir
Isaac Newton: Manuscripts
mssBAB
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Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Babson College's Grace K. Babson Collection of the Works of Sir Isaac Newton:
Manuscripts
Creator:
Newton, Isaac, 1642-1727
Identifier/Call Number: mssBAB
Physical Description:
12.66 Linear Feet
(8 boxes); (54 items)
Date (inclusive): 1660-1750
Date (bulk): 1660-1726
Abstract: Babson College's Grace K. Babson
Collection of the Works of Sir Isaac Newton: Manuscripts contains research notes,
correspondence, and documents of Isaac Newton. The collection also includes correspondence
and legal documents related to Newton written by his contemporaries.
Language of Material: The records are primarily in
English and Latin, with a few items in French.
RESTRICTED. Available with curatorial approval. Requires extended retrieval and delivery
time. Please view digital surrogates.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of Item], Babson College's Grace K. Babson Collection of the Works of Sir
Isaac Newton, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
On long-term loan: Babson College's Grace K. Babson Collection of the Works of Sir Isaac
Newton, November 2006.
Sir Isaac Newton, an English polymath, is one of the most influential scientists of all
time. His Principia Naturalis Principia Mathematica of 1687 set forth a new system of the
world based on universal gravitation, and revolutionized the study of physics, mechanics and
astronomy. Newton discovered the principles of the calculus before he was 25 years of age
(along with co-discoverer Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz). He also made fundamental contributions
to optics, including the nature of light and color, and the invention of the first practical
reflecting telescope.
Newton devoted an extensive amount of research to theology and the Bible, as well as
chemistry and alchemy. He kept most of these studies hidden from his contemporaries, who
were largely unaware of his deep interest in these subjects.
Newton was the second Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge
from 1669 to 1702. He also held the office of Master of the Royal Mint from 1669 until his
death in 1727. He was President of the Royal Society from 1703 until 1727.
Most of the manuscripts in this collection came from Sotheby's 1936 Portsmouth sale of
Newton's papers. They include correspondence, research notes, and documents, over 30 of
which are in Newton's hand. The collection demonstrates the wide range of Newton's
activities: his extensive studies of alchemy and theology, his work for the Royal Mint and
the Royal Society, as well as his personal records. Highlights include: "A Treatise or
Remarks on Solomon's Temple," with commentary and six sketches of plans and architectural
details drawn by Newton, "Praxis," considered one of his most important alchemical
manuscripts, and an illustrated alchemical text picturing the Philosopher's Stone. Another
notable manuscript is "Lib. Chem," Newton's inventory of over 100 alchemical books in his
personal library, with shelf marks.
The collection also contains correspondence and documents written by Newton's
contemporaries. Of particular note is a letter from Gottfried Leibniz to Nicolas Bernoulli
written in June 1713, in which Leibniz entreats Bernoulli to help justify his claim to
priority over Newton in the discovery of the calculus.
The collection maintains the arrangement in which it was received from The Burndy Library
at The Dibner Institute for the History of Science. Items are arranged in the following
order:
Boxes 1–4: Manuscripts, arranged sequentially according to the Grace K. Babson Collection
of the Works of Sir Isaac Newton catalog numbers.
Boxes 5-7: Oversize Manuscripts, arranged sequentially according to the Grace K. Babson
Collection of the Works of Sir Isaac Newton catalog numbers.
Box 8: A Treatise or Remarks on Solomon's Temple.
Processed by Laura R. Rips in 2015. In 2023, Mari Khasmanyan updated the finding aid to
include linear feet and links to digitized material.
Cataloger's Notes
Babson numbers from the Catalogue of the Grace K. Babson Collection of the Works of Sir
Isaac Newton (1950) and printed supplements (1955; 2002) are located at the end of each
item's title in the finding aid's container list.
Former call number: mssBAB 1-53.
- Newton, Isaac. Representation of the gold and silver coin, upon the lowering Guineas to 21 shi's, mssHM 76721.
Existence and Location of Copies
This collection has been digitized in its entirety and the digital reproductions are
available in the
Huntington Digital Library.
The collection maintains the arrangement in which it was received from The Burndy Library
at The Dibner Institute for the History of Science. Items are arranged in the following
order:
Boxes 1–4: Manuscripts, arranged sequentially according to the Grace K. Babson Collection
of the Works of Sir Isaac Newton catalog numbers.
Boxes 5-7: Oversize Manuscripts, arranged sequentially according to the Grace K. Babson
Collection of the Works of Sir Isaac Newton catalog numbers.
Box 8: A Treatise or Remarks on Solomon's Temple.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Alchemy -- Early works to 1800
Coinage -- Great Britain -- Early works to 1800
Liturgics -- Early works to 1800
Metals -- Early works to 1800
Minerals -- Early works to 1800
Theology, Doctrinal -- Early works to 1800
Great Britain -- History -- 17th century
Great Britain -- History -- 18th century
Correspondence
Documents
Notes
Trade cards (advertising)
Newton, Isaac, 1642-1727
Bernoulli, Nicolas, 1687-1759
Biot, Jean-Baptiste, 1774-1862
Brougham and Vaux, Henry Brougham, Baron, 1778-1868
Castillon, Jean, 1708-1791
De Mairan, Dortous, 1678-1771
Flamsteed, John, 1646-1719
George, Prince, consort of Anne, Queen of Great Britain,
1653-1708
Hevelius, Johannes, 1611-1687
Hooke, Robert, 1635-1703
Jacquier, Francois, 1711-1788
Le Neve, Peter, 1661-1729
Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm, Freiherr von, 1646-1716
Maupertius, 1698-1759
Menshikov, Alexsandr Danilovich, 1673-1729
Newton, John, 1651-1734
Oldenburg, Henry, approximately 1615-1677
Great Britain. Royal Mint
Royal Society (Great Britain)