Aspects of the Life and Works of Archibald Geikie
Sir Archibald Geikie (1835–1924) was one of the most distinguished and influential geologists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was Director-General of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, President of the Geological Society of London, President of the British Association, Trustee of the British Museum and President of the Royal Society. He was also an accomplished writer, a masterful lecturer and a talented artist who published over 200 scientific papers, books and articles.
The papers in this volume examine aspects of Geikie’s life and works, including his family history, his personal and professional relationships, his art, and his contributions as a field geologist and administrator. Together, they provide a deeper understanding of his life, his career and his contribution to the development of Geology as a scientific discipline. Much of the research is based on primary sources, including previously unpublished manuscripts, donated in part by members of the family to the Haslemere Educational Museum, UK.
Early life in Edinburgh and beyond: 1835–55
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Published:January 01, 2019
Abstract
Archibald Geikie was born on 28 December 1835 into a middle class professional family from central Edinburgh, whose principal business for at least four generations had been hairdressing. This paper looks at the life and times of an academic young boy and charts his early years and the factors that helped him to develop. He was clearly driven and certainly had an eye for the best chance. Persevering through bouts of serious illness and family monetary problems in his teenage years, he undertook several geological excursions, published reports and secured introductions to many of the significant natural scientists living in Edinburgh at the time. With the help of these contacts, and shrugging off the difficulties that appeared in his path, he achieved by the age of 20 the first step towards his chosen profession and became a geologist with the newly established Geological Survey of Scotland.