1859: The Year Begins (Part 1/3 of the course "1859: A Marvelous Year")

Video Description

November 5, 2019, at the Linda Hall Library A three-part course, "1859: A Marvelous Year," co-sponsored by the Linda Hall Library and the UMKC Carolyn Benton Cockefair Chair. Presented by Dr. William B. Ashworth, Jr., Associate Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Consultant for the History of Science at the Linda Hall Library. About the Course: The year 1859 is best known for hosting the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, but in fact that was just one of many publications, performances, paintings, and public phenomena that make 1859 one of the most remarkable years in history. These notable events include: the announcement of the discovery of the source of the Nile by John Speke and Richard Burton; the publication of Edward Fitzgerald’s The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam; the opening of a special exhibition of Frederick Church’s monumental painting, The Heart of the Andes, in New York City; the debut of Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto no. 1 in D minor in Hannover; the christening of Isambard Brunel’s Royal Albert Bridge in Plymouth; the premier of Gounod’s Faust in Paris; and the massive public funeral of Alexander von Humboldt in Berlin. Surprisingly, there are at least a dozen other events of historic significance in this one year. We will try to weave them all into one narrative, with drawing together elements of the history of science, painting, technology, music, exploration, and literature.