Schuh’s Annotated Bio-Bibliography

FISCHER, Carl Walther.

(1897 – 1979)

(Born: 1897; Died: 1979) German geologist, mineralogist & historian of science.

Fischer was director of the Staatlichs Museum für Mineralogie udn Geologie, 1945-8, thereafter a school teacher.

Biographical references: Jahreshefte Gesellschaft für Naturkunde in Württemberg: Jg. 134 (1979), 256-8. • Metz, R., "Walther Fischer zum 75. Geburtstag", Aufschluss, Jg. 23 (Juni, 1972), 209-22, portrait. • Prescher, H., "Carl Walther Fischer (1897-1979). Mineraloge, Museumsmann, Schuldirekto, Wissenschaftshistoriker", Beitr. Biogr. säch. Geowiss., 39, (1993), 21-54. • Sarjeant, Geologists, Suppl. 2, 1995: 1, 615-6.

8°: π⁴ 1-21⁸ 22⁶; 178l.; [i]-viii, [1]-347, [1] blank p., 18 text figures, frontispiece, 23 black and white plates. Page size: 235 x 150 mm.

Contents: [Facing p. i], Frontispiece, "Kurfürst August von Sachsen," with tissue guard.; [i-ii], Title page, verso dedicatation to Robert Richard Fischer.; [iii], "Inhaltsverzeichnis."; [iv], Blank.; [v]-viii, "Vorwort."; [1]-28, "I. Der Stand der mineralogischen-geologischen Erkenntnisse um 1550. (Die Arbeiten Georg Agricola über Mineralogie und Geologie."; [29]-49, "II. Mineralogisches in der Kurfürstlichen Kunstkammer zu Dresden."; [50]-74, "III. Begründung selbständiger Mineralien- und Naturalienkabinette und deren Entwicklung unter Johann Heinrich v. Heucher bis zu dessen Tode 1746."; [75]-92, "IV. Die Inspektoren des Mineralienkabinetts bis zum Jahre 1746."; [93]-103, "V. Das Bernsteinkabinett."; [104]-138, "VI. Die Entwicklung der Sammlungen unter den Inspektoren Eilenberg und Birkhan (1746-1778)."; [139]-186, "VIII. Vom Mineralienkabinett zum wissenschaftlichen Museum. Der Anteil der Inspektoren Titius und Treutler an der Entwicklung der Mineralogie (1778-1819)."; 187-196, "Anmerkungen zu Kapitel I (Nr. 1-90)."; 196-208, "Anmerkungen zu Kapitel II (Nr. 91-160)."; 208-226, "Anmerkungen zu Kapitel III (Nr. 208-226)."; 226-234, "Anmerkungen zu Kapitel IV (Nr. 269-355)."; 234-238, "Anmerkungen zu Kapitel V (Nr. 356-396)."; 238-272, "Anmerkungen zu Kapitel VI (Nr. 397-561)."; 272-320, "Anmerkungen zu Kapitel VII (Nr. 562-983)."; 321-322, "Anhang: Regeln für Museumsbesucher (aus der `Museographia' des Neickelius 1727, S. 454-458."; [323]-338, "Personen- und Verfasserverzeichnis."; [339]-342, "Sachverzeichnis."; [343]-347, "Verzeichnis der Abbildungen und Tafeln (mit Erläuterungen der Tafeln)."; [1 page], Blank; [At end], 23 plates.

Plates: All plates with the exception of the frontis piece have at their upper left hand corner, the description, "Fischer, Mineralogie," and at their upper right hand corner the "Tafel" number. All plates have decriptions underneath each illustration.

Frontispiece. Kurfürst August von Sachsen. Founder of the Dresden "Kunstkammer." Tafel 1. Georg Agricola (3 portraits) and Johannes Kentmann (2 portraits). Tafel 2. Johannes Mathesius and Giovanni Maria Nosseni. Tafel 3. Wolf Caspar von Klengel and August der Starke. Tafel 4. Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus and Johann Aegidius von Alemann. Tafel 5. Johann Heinrich von Heucher. Tafel 6. Heinrich Graf von Brühl and Ernst Christoph Graf von Manteuffel. Tafel 7. Johann Paul Wurfbain and August Quirinus Rivinus. Tafel 8. Christian Gottlieb Ludwig. Tafel 9. Carl Gottlieb Altenburger and Johann Gottlieb Michaelis.

Tafel 10. Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich von Trebra and Friedrich August der Gerechte. Tafel 11. Friedrich Anton Freiherr von Heynitz and Joseph Friedrich Freiherr zu Rachnitz. Tafel 12. Johann Friedrich Wilhelm von Charpentier and Abraham Gottlob Werner. Tafel 13. Buildings in Dresden that have housed the Kunstkammer (3 figures). Tafel 14. Regimentshaus (about 1800) and a reproduction of a view of Museum Richterianum. Tafel 15. Zwingerhof (about 1754) and a plan of the Naturalienkabinetts in Zwinger. Tafel 16. Zwingerhof (about 1758) and a view of Schloßturm in Zwinger (early 1800's). Tafel 17. Reproduction of early plates showing various vessels and jars (2 figures). Tafel 18. Reproduction of a 1719 engraving showing a parade of miners in Dresden. Tafel 19. Emerald specimen from Columbia and a wire silver specimen from Schneeberg.

Tafel 20. Specimens of various silver containing minerals (4 figures). Tafel 21. Fossils (2 figures). Tafel 22. Fossils (3 figures). Tafel 23. Fossils (1 figure).

Very scarce. Excellent, throughly detailed history of mineralogy from 1550 to 1817 of the very important mining district of Saxony, Germany. It is written from the viewpoint of the mineralogical collections of Dresden, and contains information not easily found in other references. The work contains sections dealing with the contributions of Agricola to mineralogy and geology (pp. 1-28); the representation of mineralogy in the royal collections of Dresden (pp. 29-49); the establishment of independent mineral cabinets and their developement under Johann Heinrich von Heucher (pp. 50-74); the inspectors of the mineral cabinet to the year 1746 (pp. 75-92); the amber cabinet (pp. 93-103); the continued development of the collections from 1746 to 1778 (pp. 104-138); the transition of the mineral cabinet to scientific institution during the period 1778 to 1819 (pp. 139-186). The remainder of the book gives 983 notes referenced in the text and indexes to the names and subjects mentioned. An extremely valuable reference work to the history of mineralogy in Germany.

Bibliographical references: American Mineralogist: 25 (1940), 379. • Dana's 7th (Bibliography): 70. • Hoover Collection: no. 313. • Lychnos: 1941, 398-403 [by N. Zenzén]. • NUC.

8°: π⁴ 1-37⁸; 300l.; 8°: [i]-viii, [1]-592 p., name and subject indexes, frontispiece, 11 plates, 36 tables (2 folding), 12 text illus. Page size: 240 x 155 mm. Very scarce.

Contents: [Facing p. i], Frontispiece, "Das Erinnere nach Johann Joachim Becher,"; [i-ii], Title page, verso "Alle Rechte, auch das der Übersetzung, vorbehalten | ..."; [iii]-v, "Vorwort."-signed Walther Fischer, October 1960.; [vi], Blank.; [vii]-viii, "Inhalt."; [1]-542, Text.; [543]-562, "Personenregister."; 563-592, "Orts- und Sachregister."

Plates: All plates have at their lower left hand corner, the description, "Fischer, Gesteins- und Lagerstättenbildung" and at their upper right hand corner the "Tafel" number. All plates have decriptions underneath each illustration.

Frontispiece. Reproduction of Johann Joachim Becher concept of the interior of the earth published in his "Opuscula chymica rariora" in 1719. Tafel 1 (p. 16). The first illustration of a geological cross-section, Johann Gottlob Lehmann, 1756 and the earliest geological map of Thüringen from Georg Christian Füchsel, 1761. Tafel 2 (p. 56). Johann Carl Wilhelm Voigts geological profile, 1782 and Bernhard von Cotta's idealized geological profile, 1842. Tafel 3 (p. 64). J.C.W. Voigt, A.G. Werner, J.G. Lehmann and C.F. Naumann. Tafel 4 (p. 80). H.C. Sorby, H. Rosenbusch, H. Vogelsang and F. Zirkel (Medallion profile). Tafel 5 (p. 224). A. Michel-Lévy, F. Becke, J.H.L. Voigt and F. Rinne. Tafel 6 (p. 264). G.A. Daubrée, W.J. Vernadsky, A.E. Fersman and V.M. Goldschmidt. Tafel 7 (p. 312). Georg Agricola. Tafel 8 (p. 344). J.F.W.T. von Charpentier and F.A. Breithaupt. Tafel 9 (p. 360). F.C. Freiherr von Beust and S.A.W. Freiherr von Herder. Tafel 10 (p. 384). G. Bischof, B. von Cotta, A. von Groddeck and F. von Sandberger. Tafel 11 (p. 448). A.W. Stelzner and P. Niggli.

Bibliographical references: Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau: 14 (1961), 359 [by A.E. Hiller]. • NUC [NF ].