30 Lantern slides belonging to William James
Date: circa 1875
Inventory Number: WJ1183
Classification: Lantern Slides
Maker: A. T. Thompson & Company (fl. 1871 - 1925)
Owner: William James (1842 - 1910)
User: Harvard Psychological Laboratory (founded 1891)
Cultural Region:
Dimensions:
22 lb. (10 kg)
case: 11 x 12 x 31 cm (4 5/16 x 4 3/4 x 12 3/16 in.)
Overall - Storage: 11 x 12 x 31 cm (4 5/16 x 4 3/4 x 12 3/16 in.)
Description:
30 lantern slides in a rectangular wooden box with a single brass hook latch. The slides are mostly drawings of biological specimens or details of the nervous system. A series of slides are photographs of a dissected frog. They are in good shape.
Date is from reference found in the manual of WJ1224. Several of William James' slides had been copied and used in WJ1224, and they are refered to on page 9 of that manual.
NOTE: Labels on these slides were added after they were given to Harvard, they are not William James' assigned labels and thus contain many question marks.
Date is from reference found in the manual of WJ1224. Several of William James' slides had been copied and used in WJ1224, and they are refered to on page 9 of that manual.
NOTE: Labels on these slides were added after they were given to Harvard, they are not William James' assigned labels and thus contain many question marks.
SignedInside of box lid, stamped in light green ink: A. T. THOMPSON & COMPANY / 15 TREMONT PLACE, BOSTON
Inscribedtyped label on outside of box: J / J1 to J34 / WILLIAM JAMES SLIDES / Slides used by William James in his / Harvard lectures and presented to the / Harvard Psychological Laboratory by his / son Henry James. Labelled subsequent-/ly.
FunctionFor lecture demonstrations.
Historical AttributesThese slides were used by the philosopher William James in his lectures, and were donated to the Harvard Psychological Laboratory sometime after his death by his son Henry James.
In 2000, Richard Kauffman, Librarian in the Psychology Department, William James Hall, found this collection of slides in his office (room 152) along with an assortment of early psychological testing documents. The materials were transferred to CHSI on March 23, 2000.
In 2000, Richard Kauffman, Librarian in the Psychology Department, William James Hall, found this collection of slides in his office (room 152) along with an assortment of early psychological testing documents. The materials were transferred to CHSI on March 23, 2000.
Curatorial RemarksSee WJ0630 in same drawer for index to slides.
ProvenanceWilliam James, Department of Philosophy, Harvard University, circa 1875; Henry James, his son, circa 1910; gift to the Harvard Psychological Laboratory, date unknown; transfer to CHSI, 2000.