Charles Frederick Hartt
Encyclopedia
Charles Frederick Hartt (23 August 1840 in Fredericton, New Brunswick
– 18 March 1878) was an Canadian-American
geologist
, paleontologist and naturalist
who specialized in the geology
of Brazil
.
(1807–1873) at the Museum of Comparative Zoology
, Harvard University
. In 1865 he accompanied Agassiz to Brazil in the Thayer Expedition. A creationist
, Agassiz believed he could find geological proof of his theory concerning glacial action in Brazil that would knock down the evolutionist theory of Charles Darwin
.
There, he fell in love with the new country, spending 15 months exploring it. In 1868 he accepted a post at Cornell University
, in Ithaca
, New York
and planned to return to Brazil. Charles married Miss Lucy Cornelia Lynde of Buffalo, New York
, in 1869. They had two children, Mary and Rollin. Both children became writers.
In all, Hartt participated in four expeditions to Brazil (the Morgan Expeditions) from 1870 to 1878. He collected a great deal of data about the land and the people, contributing to new knowledge about the flora, the fauna, mineral
s, geography
, linguistics
and ethnography
. He was an accomplished draftsman
and illustrator
and musician
. In his last voyage he collected more than 500,000 specimen
s, which were donated to the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro
, where he worked as the founder and director of the section of geology from 1866 to 1867.
In 1875, following a suggestion by Hartt, the Emperor Dom Pedro II
(1825-1891) established the Imperial Geological Commission. The Commission was closed down after two years of work after losing the Emperor's support. Hartt was abandoned by his wife and children, who returned to the USA.
He died in Brazil, after contracting yellow fever
, at the age of 38.
One of his students, the American geologist Orville Adalbert Derby
(1851–1915) succeeded him at the National Museum
, after having accompanied him in two of the Morgan Expeditions (1870 and 1871) and having worked with him at the Imperial Commission.
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
– 18 March 1878) was an Canadian-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
, paleontologist and naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
who specialized in the geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Exploration in Brazil
In 1860, Hartt started to work as an assistant to Louis AgassizLouis Agassiz
Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz was a Swiss paleontologist, glaciologist, geologist and a prominent innovator in the study of the Earth's natural history. He grew up in Switzerland and became a professor of natural history at University of Neuchâtel...
(1807–1873) at the Museum of Comparative Zoology
Museum of Comparative Zoology
The Museum of Comparative Zoology, full name "The Louis Agassiz Museum of Comparative Zoology", often abbreviated simply to "MCZ", is a zoology museum located on the grounds of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is one of three museums which collectively comprise the Harvard Museum...
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. In 1865 he accompanied Agassiz to Brazil in the Thayer Expedition. A creationist
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
, Agassiz believed he could find geological proof of his theory concerning glacial action in Brazil that would knock down the evolutionist theory of Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
.
There, he fell in love with the new country, spending 15 months exploring it. In 1868 he accepted a post at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, in Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and planned to return to Brazil. Charles married Miss Lucy Cornelia Lynde of Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, in 1869. They had two children, Mary and Rollin. Both children became writers.
In all, Hartt participated in four expeditions to Brazil (the Morgan Expeditions) from 1870 to 1878. He collected a great deal of data about the land and the people, contributing to new knowledge about the flora, the fauna, mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
. He was an accomplished draftsman
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. In his last voyage he collected more than 500,000 specimen
Specimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
s, which were donated to the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro
Museu Nacional (Brazil)
The National Museum of Brazil is a centenarian museum and research institution, located in the Quinta da Boa Vista park in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.-History:...
, where he worked as the founder and director of the section of geology from 1866 to 1867.
In 1875, following a suggestion by Hartt, the Emperor Dom Pedro II
Pedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
(1825-1891) established the Imperial Geological Commission. The Commission was closed down after two years of work after losing the Emperor's support. Hartt was abandoned by his wife and children, who returned to the USA.
He died in Brazil, after contracting yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
, at the age of 38.
One of his students, the American geologist Orville Adalbert Derby
Orville Adalbert Derby
Orville Adalbert Derby was an American geologist who worked in Brazil.-Education:Derby studied geology at the Cornell University, obtaining his degree in 1873...
(1851–1915) succeeded him at the National Museum
Museu Nacional (Brazil)
The National Museum of Brazil is a centenarian museum and research institution, located in the Quinta da Boa Vista park in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.-History:...
, after having accompanied him in two of the Morgan Expeditions (1870 and 1871) and having worked with him at the Imperial Commission.
Publications
- Thayer Expedition (1870)
- Geology and physical geography of Brazil (1870)
- Amazonian Tortoise Myths (1875)
- Notes on the Manufacture of Pottery Among Savage Races (1873)
External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- The Museu Nacional and its European employees. Jens Andermann
- The Man Who Abandoned Himself to Nature. Boletim Informativo UFMG (In Portuguese)
- Contributions of Charles Frederick Hartt for Brazilian ethnography (Biblioteca Digital Curt Nimuendaju)