(Born: Salford, England, 3 March 1854; Died: London, England, 6 January 1921) English physicist & mineralogist.

Fletcher was educated at Oxford. From 1875 to '77, he was demonstrator at the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford. He was elected a fellow of University College, Oxford University. From 1880 to 1909, Fletcher was keeper of the minerals of the British Museum, and from 1909 to 1919 he was director of the natural history departments of the museum.

Biographical references: Annual Register. • Barr, Index to Biographical Fragments, 1973: 87. • BBA: I 412, 27-29; II 1477, 258-260. • Cleevely, World Palæontological Collections, 1983: 119. • Geological Magazine: 58 (1921), no. 3, 141-3 [by G.T. Prior]. • Mineralogical Magazine: 19 (1921), no. 92, 181-92, portrait [by H.A. Miers]. • Poggendorff: 3, 452, 4, 430-1, & 5, 374. • Proceedings of the Geological Society, London: 1921, p. lxvi-lxvii [by R.D. Oldham]. • Sarjeant, Geologists, 1980: 2, 1008. • Smith, Seventy Years of Mineralogy, 1982. • WBI. • World Who's Who in Science: 579.

1. English, 1881 [Bibliography].
British Museum (Natural History). | [double rule] | Catalogue | of the | Books | in the | Department of Mineralogy. | [rule] | Printed for the Trustees of the British Museum. | 1881.

8°: π¹ B⁷ C-G⁸ H⁵; 53l.; [1]-105, [1] p. Page size: 210 x 135 mm.

Contents: [1-2], Title page, verso printer's device, "Printed by Taylor and Francis ..."; [2]-93, "Catalogue of the Books in the Department of Mineralogy."; 94-98, "Periodicals. Journals and Transactions of Learned Societies."; 99-102, "Charts and Maps."; 103-105, "Dictionaries, Catalogues, &c."-signed, p. 105, L. Fletcher, November 16th, 1881; [1 pg], Blank.

Very rare. An alphabetical catalog listing the contents of the library of the Department of Mineralogy, British Museum.

Bibliographical references: BL [011908.e.3.].

2. English, 1892.
The | Optical Indicatrix | And The | Transmission Of Light In Crystals. | By | L. Fletcher, M.A., F.R.S., | [...3 lines of titles and memberships...] | [rule] | London: | Henry Frowde, | Oxford University Press Warehouse, | Amen Corner. | [rule] | 1892.

8°: π⁶ B-H⁸; 62l.; [i]-xii, [1]-112 p. Page size: 212 x 134 mm.

Contents: [i-ii], Half title page, "The Optical Indicatrix | And | The Transmission Of Light In Crystals," verso "London: | Printed By Williams And Strahan, | 7 Lawrence Lane, Cheapside."; [iii-iv], Title page, verso blank.; [v]-viii, "Contents."; [ix]-xii, "Introduction."-signed L. Fletcher, 31 March 1891.; [1]-112, Text.

Very scarce. This tract originally appeared in the Mineralogical Magazine. The text covers theories of the speed of light trasmitted through crystals. It consists of the following five chapters: (1) Recent change of view as to the properties to be assigned to an elastic luminiferous ether. (2) Evolution of the optical indicatrix. (3) Naturalness of the method. (4) Deduction of the optical characters corresponding to an ellipsoidal indicatrix. (5) Various optical relations which are independent of the physical character of the periodic change.

Bibliographical references: BL [8908.ee.49.]. • Dana's 7th (Bibliography): 70.

3. English, 1884.
A Guide | To The | Mineral Gallery | Of The | British Museum (Natural History), | Cromwell Road, South Kensington. | With An Introduction | To | The Study Of Minerals. | Printed By Order Of The Trustees, | 1884.

8°: 120 p.

Rare. This is a popular guide to the world class mineral gallery of the British Museum, London, England. This is the first appearance of the text written by Fletcher, which for the next 40 years would be slightly revised and edited and issued through 16 editions [which see notes below].

Other editions and issues:

1889: 8°: 120 p. [BL, 7106.b.43.]

1894: 8°: 120 p. [BL, 7106.b.49.]

1895: 8°: 123 p. [BL, 7106.b.51.]

1897: 8°: 123 p. [BL, 07107.g.4.]

1903: 8°: 123 p. [BL, 07107.g.14.]

1906, "10th edition". 8°: 123 p. [BL, 07107.g.30.]

1907, "11th edition". 8°: 123 p. [BL, 07107.h.43.]

1908, "12th edition". 8°: 123 p. [BL, 7109.e.42.]

1910, "13th edition". 8°: 123 p. [BL, 07107.g.51.]

1914, "14th edition". British Museum (Natural History) | Cromwell Road, London, S.W. | [rule] | Mineral Department. | [rule] | An Introduction | To The | Study Of Minerals | With A Guide To The Mineral Gallery. | By | L. Fletcher, M.A., F.R.S., | [...2 lines of titles and memberships...] | Fourteenth Edition. | [This Guide-book can be obtained at the Museum: written applications for it | should be addressed to "The Director, Natural History Museum, | Cromwell Road, London, S.W."] | [rule] | London: | Printed By Order Of The Trustees. | 1914. | (All rights reserved.). 8°: 123 p. [BL, 07106.g.17.]

1918, "15th edition". 8°: 123 p. [BL, 7106.b.74.]

1924, "16th edition". 8°: 71 p. [BL, 2249.d.13.]

Bibliographical references: BL [7104.b.6.].

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