Edward Anthony Spitzka collection regarding John Wesley Powell's brain, 1903

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Summary

Creators:
Spitzka, Edward Anthony, 1876-1922
Abstract:
Material created by Dr. Edward Anthony Spitzka, a prominent early 20th century brain anatomist, for his article "A Study of the Brain of the Late Major J. W. Powell."
Extent:
2.34 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Edward Anthony Spitzka collection regarding John Wesley Powell's brain, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains several drafts of Edward Anthony Spitzka's manuscript "A Study of the Brain of the Late Major J. W. Powell," as well as the material he gathered to write the manuscript such as "testimonial" letters about Powell's character by various respondents who knew him. The respondents include university presidents, geologists, authors, anthropologists, ethnologists, etc. Some notable authors are: Franz Boas, Swan Burnett, Henry H. Donaldson, Charles Fletcher, W. J. McGee, F. W. Putnam, and Dr. D. S. Lamb. Also included are printed copies of Spitzka's article (one is a proof copy), notes, drawings of Powell's brains, a printed biography of Powell, and a typed draft of Spitzka's paper "Cerebral Characteristics of Distinguished Men with Special Reference to the Late Major J. W. Powell."

Biographical / historical:

Edward Anthony Spitzka was an early 20th century brain anatomist. In 1903 he studied J. W. Powell's brain and published "A Study of the Brain of the Late Major J. W. Powell" in the American Anthropologist.

John Wesley Powell was born in New York in 1834. He studied natural history at Oberlin and Wheaton colleges. He lost his right arm at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862 during the American Civil War. After the war he was a professor in Illinois. In 1867 he explored the Grand Canyon and Colorado River Basin. Powell was appointed Director of the Bureau of American Ethnology in 1879 and the U.S. Geological Survey in 1880. Powell published articles and reports on geography, geology, irrigation, ethnology, and his various surveys of the American West. He died in 1902 and his brain was sent to Dr. Spitzka for study. Powell's brain is housed at the Smithsonian.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Back of Beyond Books, January 2017.
Processing information:

Processed by Brooke M. Black in March 2017. She created a finding aid in November 2023.

Arrangement:

Organized in two series: Series 1: Manuscripts, notes, and drawings; Series 2: Correspondence and printed matter.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Edward Anthony Spitzka collection regarding John Wesley Powell's brain, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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