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The Art journal illustrated catalogue: the industry of all nations, 1851
(1851)
Hunt, Robert
The science of the exhibition, pp. I#-XVI#
Page I#
THE SCIENCE OF THE EXHIBITION.
class of observations
man has ever avanced his knowledgoe.
Science has been the
staff by which he has been helped
forward, but for many
ages he was ignorant of the nature of
his aid. This progress,
as Coleridge says, was not like that of
a Roman road, in a right
line; it may be more jstl mpar
to that of a river,
which both in its sm er reaches and
larger turnings, is
frequently forced back towards its fountains,
by objects which cannot
otherwise be eluded or overcome; yet
with an accompanying
impulse that will ensure its advance-
ment hereafter, it is
either gaining strength every hour, or
conquering in secret
some badifficulty, by a abur that
contributes as effectually
to further it in its course, as when
it moves forward uninterruptedly.
It has been by such
a devious course as thiis that man has
advanced to his present
position; like the river, he has cut out
his way through the
plains of nature, and in his further
advancement he must
toil in the same field, but he has
all the advantages
of that knowledge, which has been
gained by other labourers,
who having finished their work, rest
from their exertions.
We have long boasted
of our age as a most remarkable one;
the number of useful
applications which we have made within
113 1 TD in this p a comparatively limited
period, are no doubt more numerous
thanwere ever before
made within the same time. What has
' \4 progress of this Industrial Exhibitionbeen the cause
of this ? Why have we such vast improve-
ments in steam machinery?
Why the electrotype, the electric
telegraph, and the
other aids of which we are so justly proud.
Watt observed a small
fact connected with the expansion of
steam; Daniel noticed
a peculiarity 'in copper precipitated
By ROBERT HUNT, Esq., under certain conditions;
(Ersted studied the movement of a
Kceper of Mining Records museum of Practical Geology, magnet, in
the proximity of a wire, through which an electric
+ ~~~~~~~current was traversing;
and from the observations of simple
PART mou g *8 produfacts
great lawsywere deduced, and great ends have beenattained.
PART-placed upon atnlcst d oe ord The Exhibition
exhibits the beautiful results which have
T is a noble object to test by been derived from
the study of science, and it will also
actual experiment to what extent exhibit some-we
trust not many-of the mistakes which
the ingenuity and skill of the are made from the
attempt to apply physical force without a
nations of the earth has corres- knowledge of the
laws by which it is regulated. The inventive
cponded to the intentions of their genius, being
closely allied to imaginative power, must be
'Creator, and to i the restrained by aphilosophical
education to become of value to
adv a ages ic eachcontry its possessor, or available
for the benefit of his race.
cban offe thg e oher in suyoing Let us examine
the four great sections of the Exhibition-
the wants, and adding to the Raw Material and Produce,
Machinery, Manufactures, and Fine
happiness of mankind." Arts-and see
how completely, in every stage of progress,
The depth of meaning which is Science lends her
aid to Art and Manufacture, confining our
this passage, part of an address de- attention, however,
principally to the mineral kingdom, since
livered by Sir Robert Peel, at one of the the other departments
will fall more properly into thedhands
Metropolian festivals, in honour of the of those, whose
studies have rendered them high authorities.
progess f ths Inustral Ehibiion, The development
of our lithological treasures is materially
- ~~admirably fits it for the motto of an aided by geology.ThbeuillmstnsoDryhr,
essay, the purpose of which is to examine and its fluiorspars,
which have been by the ingenious work-
andeventuallythe progress made bo y t-he is ad mn of that
county, wrought into almost every, form of article
D~~~~~the prtorhis owmade by the indutryadmen
intelligence of man, in rendering useful the rawfohosoeoainfh
ls nwbtee moihre
matrias o te sverl kngomsof atueand beautiful serpentines
of Cornwall and of Irelandowhcar
moulding its productions into forms of beauty.dslydoessclunadlbradvss;thmrls
Mlan-placed upon a strangely constituted globe, covered of Devonshire,
the porphyries and granites of Scotland, of
with all that is necessary for the sustenance of life-is Ireland,anofsuhwtenEgndcielditoihy
compeled b the ecessities of his condition, to exert his ornamental
decorative forms, at once speak of the advantage
intelecual owes indevsingmeas bywhih hemaybe of geological science
in developing the native resources of a
shelteed frm thesummer heats and the winter colds. country.
This impulsive power drives him to the study of nature-hehs ae xii
ayilsrtv xmlso h
cannt ceat, bt eeryhin whih i crate hecanfasionperfection
of metal-casting in bronze, brass, iron, silver,
to hs dsir; bt todo hishe ustobey the great physical and other metals.
Havng assed toin tto forms t whihat trac
laws bywhic th conitins o al mater is determined, and attention
as work fAt eaetoatt ogtta h
towobey themh they musdtibeonsOwn and mto bknwatrlvry perfection we admire
is due almost entirely to the con-
phenomena thmusthbe atentivelysbserved.oitionaofrude ore, as we find it exhibited
in Class I. To
_
r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i
ple of take bronze and brass
as our example, amidst the raw materials
inducton, oten obcure, and scavrcl traen ablexasm u h ft e miea
iod m we find Cornwall, the most ancient
but ponclos exminaionsuchit i~l e fund o hve ben.minig dstrict
of which history recorstefcotaiin
Man witneslses eamfactosc it reus wginl and again, experience supplies the
tale, exhibiting its tin ores in all their vaiey
thus gives him information concerning the things around him, Oxid' ftn
n upuetna mied frim omntheilod, and ase
andvetal-teporsiscm ny slow,-he perceives it is found amid the
d'bris of the prmrhontisnthes
that by the knowledge of that one fact, he may improve uponmealrilpocsisdpaydnmdlbywchts
natur to is ow advntag. Som bakd cly taught the mineral is
reducetohemalisae.Cproesfm
potueter his usfuwat andv teaccdntalgusonofse-and the almost pure metal
as found deposited intesretn
instruted man infu athe manufcture of glass. By a similar rocks of the
Lizard, and the whinstone of the North, to the
instructed man in the inanufa ~ ~ ~ I
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