(Born: Gammelbo, Västmanland, Sweden, 11 March 1712; Died: Stockholm, Sweden, 17 October 1772) Swedish mineralogist & mining engineer.

Tilas was first educated at home before being sent to Uppsala University in 1723 from which he graduated in 1732. He began as an assistant in the office of mining industry and through out the remainder of his life held many positions related to the mining industry of Sweden, including instructor at the Swedish Mining Academy. In 1739 he was elected a member of the Swedish Academy of Science.

Biographical references: DSB: 13, 409-10 [by N. Spjeldnaes]. • Falk, E.V., "Daniel Tilas och Fredrik Gyllenborg", Personhistorisk Tidskrift, 36, (1936), 19-49. • Jägerskiöld, O., Daniel Tilas Anteckningar från riksdagen 1769-1770. Stockholm, 1977. 334 p. [Published as: Kungl. Samfundet för utgivande av handskrifter rörande Skandinaviens Historia. Handlingar del 3.; ISBN: 9185104035]. • Jakobsen, A., "Daniel Tilas og Norge", Nord.Tidsskr., Stockholm, 33, (1957), 92-106. • Lambrecht & Quenstedt, Catalogus, 1938: 430. • Poggendorff: 2, cols. 1106-7. • Regnell, Paleontology in Sweden, 1948. • Sarjeant, Geologists, 1980: 3, 2268 & Suppl. 2 (1996), 2, 1142. • SBA: Scandinavian Biographical Archive: B-336, 300-308. • Stenklo, A., "Daniel Tilas och en lavering", Bergslaget, Stockholm, 13, (1958), no. 13, 17-9. • Svenskt Biografiskt Handlexikon: 2, 621-2, profile. • WBI. • Zenzén, N., "Ein Briefwechsel im Jahre 1671 zwischen Daniel Tilas und Probst Abraham Miödh", Geologiska föreningen i Stockholm förhandlingar, 49, (1927), 259-72. • Zenzén, N., "Daniel Tilas om geologien i Svenska-Norska gränstrakterna", Geologiska föreningen i Stockholm förhandlingar, 53, (1931), 27-46. • Zenzén, N., "Om Daniel Tilas' memorial 1747 rörande Nasafjäll, Kedkevara (Silpat Jakko) och Rautäive", Blad f.bergshant.vänner, 1939, 189-97. • Zenzén, N., "Geologiska kartor och geologisk kartläggning i Sverige føre upprättande av Sveriges Geologiska Undersökning", Geologiska Föreningen i Stockholm Förhandlingar, 47, (1925), 311-343. • Zenzén, N., "On the first use of the term `Feldspat' (Feldspar, etc.) by Daniel Tilas", Geologiska föreningen i Stockholm förhandlingar, 47, (1925), 385-405.

En Bergmans, 1738

1. Swedish, 1738.
En | Bergmans | Rön och Försök | i | Mineral Riket | Upstälte | Af | Daniel Tilas. | [rule] | Åbo, Tryckt hos Iohan Christophes | Merckell Åhr 1738.

8°: π² A-B⁸; 18l.; [1]-36 p.

Contents: [1], Title page.; [2], "Detta wackra arbete/ omen..."-signed H.D. Spöring, 13 December 1737.; [3-4], Dedication to Alexander Funk and Gustaf Gottfried Reuterholm, signed Daniel Tilas.; [5]-36, Text.

Rare. The author was a pioneer in prospecting for ore, and this book, "A Mining Expert's Experience in Mineralogy" outlines his methods. He believed the best method was to search for erratic blocks, because blocks were larger and more numerous closer to their place of origin. Using this procedure the very rich field near Skellefteå was found, and geological maps were drawn in accordance with this principle.

Bibliographical references: BL [B.257.(4.)]. • Frängsmayr, T., "Swedish science in the eighteenth century", History of Science, 12, 29-42: 32-33 [Swedish Science in the 18th c.]. • LKG: XII 17.

2. Swedish, 1742 [First edition].
Stenrikets | Historia | Utförd | I det wid Præsidii afläggrande | håldne | Talet | In för Kongl. Swenska Wetenskaps Academien | den 14. April 1742. | Af | Herr Dan. Tilas. | [ornate rule] | På Kongl. Academiens befallning, | [double rule] | Tryckt i Stockholm, af Lorentz | Ludwig Grefing.

8°: [1]-32 p. Page size: 190 x 110 mm. Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: BL [965.i.16.(7.)]. • LKG: XII 18a. • SWIM: 30, nos. 22 & 55.

Stenrikets Historia, 1748

3. Swedish, 1748 [2nd edition].
Stenrikets | Historia, | Utförd | I det wid Præsidii afläggrande | Håldne | Talet | In F{ea{o}}r | Kongl. Svenska Wetenskaps | Academien | Den 14. April, 1742. | Af | Herr. Dan. Tilas. | [ornament] | [rule] | På Kongl. Vetenskaps Academiens befalning. | Andra gången uplagdt. | [wavy rule] | Stockholm, hos Lars Salvius. | 1748.

8°: A-B⁸ C¹; 17l.; [1]-34 p. Head- and tail pieces. Page size: 188 x 118 mm.

Contents: [1-2], Title page, verso Blank.; [3]-34, Text, beginning "Mine Herrar!"

Rare. In his Stenrikets Historia, Tilas outlines his views on the mineral kingdom of Sweden. He presented this paper on the 14 April 1742 to the Royal Swedish Academy of Science of which he was then president. This 1748 edition appears to be a reissue of the original text with only minor additions.

Bibliographical references: BL [no copy listed].

Auserlesene Sammlung zum Vortheil der Staatswirthschaft, der Naturforschung und des Feldbaues ... aus dem Schwedischen übersetzt von C.S.G. [Gottlieb Sigmund Gruner] mit einer Vorrede von Hrn. von Haller. (Basel, 1763).
See under: Gruner, Gottlieb Siegmund.

4. German, 1795 [German transl.].
Die | Geschichte | des | Steinreiches; | ausgeführt in einer | bey der ablegung des vorsizes | in der önigl. Akademie der Wissenschaften | zu Stokholm | den 11 April 1742; | gehaltenen | Rede | von | Daniel Tilas, | Bergmeister und Beysizer bey dem königl. | Bergcollegium.

8°: [2], p. 249-290. Page size: 186 x 114 mm.

Contents: [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; 249-290, Text.

Rare. Translated from Stenrikets Historia (Stockholm, 1748), this is a reprint from some unknown journal.

D.C.G. Gröning. (Born:      ; Died:      ) . Need Biography.

Bibliographical references: BL [966.h.6.]. • LKG: XII 19. (Gröning)

5. Swedish, 1765 [First edition].
Utkast | Til | Sveriges | Mineral-Historia. | [rule] | Framlagdt uti det | Tal, | som vid Præsidii Afläggande Hölts | in för Kongl. Svenska Vetenskaps Academien | Den 6 Februarii 1765. | Af | Daniel Tilas, | Landshöfding, samt Riddare af K.N.O. | [vingette: an elderly man planting a palm] | [rule] | Stockholm, | Tryckt hos Directeuren Lars Salvius, 1765.

8°: A-F⁸ G⁴; 52l.; [1]-104 p. At page 66 a folding plate, "Stenen i Grönan Dahl." Page size: 195 x 110 mm.

Contents: [1-2], Title page, verso blank.; [3]-102, Text.; [103]-104, "Svar, Gifvet på Kongl. Vetensk. Academiens Vågnar, Af Dess Secreterare."

Rare. This book based on the author's solid observations describes the mineral resources of Sweden. Tilas had himself visited a large portion of country, and noted above the position of the mountains containing ore minerals, the dominant constellation.

Bibliographical references: Alt. gel. Merc.: 1766, 88. • Berlinische Sammlungen: 3, 552. • BL [965.k.3.(7.)]. • Celle de Berl.: 1766, 117. • Engewald, Gisela-Ruth. "Einige Gedanken zum Erscheinen der ersten farbigen petrographischen Karte Sachsens von Johann Friedrich Wilhelm von Charpentier vor 200 Jahren", Zeitschrift für geologischen Wissenschaften, 8 (1980), no. 2, 159-69, 5 illus. • Gaz. Litt. de l'Eur.: (Dec 1765), 348. • Göttingische gelehrte Anzeigen: 1766, 469. • Greifsw. krit. Nachr: 1766, 8. • LKG: XIV 791.

6. German, 1767 [German transl.].
Des | Freyherrn Daniel Tilas, | [...3 lines of titles and memberships...] | Entwurf | einer schwedischen | Mineralhistorie, | in einer | den 6ten Febr. 1765 in der Königlich= | Swedischen Akademie der Wissenschaften | in Stockholm bey Abtretung der | Präsidentenstelle | gehaltenen Rede. | Aus dem Swedischen übersetzt | von | Johann Beckmann. | [rule] | Leipzig, | bey Weidmanns Erben und Reich, | 1767.

8°: 134 p., folding plate.

Very rare. German translation by Johann Beckmann [see note below] of Utkast til Sveriges Mineral-Historia (Stockholm, 1765).

Johann Beckmann. (Born: Hoya near the Weser, Germany, 4 June 1739; Died: Göttingen, Germany, 3 February 1811) German biologist. Beckmann studied at Göttingen from 1758 to 1762. He then taught at the German Gymnasium in St. Petersburg from 1765-6. After an extensive trip through Sweden and Denmark, Beckmann secured a position at the University of Göttingen, where he remained. He was a member of the Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften [Society of Science] in Göttingen 1776, Leopoldina 1761, and Baryerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 1809.

Bibliographical references: Berlinische Sammlungen: 3, p. 552. • BL [954.a.25.]. • Engewald, Gisela-Ruth. "Einige Gedanken zum Erscheinen der ersten farbigen petrographischen Karte Sachsens von Johann Friedrich Wilhelm von Charpentier vor 200 Jahren", Zeitschrift für geologischen Wissenschaften, 8 (1980), no. 2, 159-69, 5 illus. • Erlanger gelehrte Beyträge: p. 205. • Göttingische gelehrte Anzeigen: p. 619. • Greifsw. krit. Nachr: p. 201. • Journal encyclopédique.: 3, pt. 3, p. 146. • LKG: XIV 792a. (Beckmann) ADB: 2, 238-9. • Beckert, M., Johann Beckmann, Leipzig, 1983. [Published as: Biographien hervorragender Naturwissenschaftler, Techniker und Mediziner, 68; 119 p., portrait]. • Catalogue of Portraits of Naturalists: 165 [3 portraits listed]. • DSB: 1, 554-5. • Mayerhöfer, Lexikon der Naturwissenschaften, 1958-75: 403. • NDB: 1, 727-8. • Poggendorff: 1, cols. 127-8. • Wagenitz, Göttinger Biologen, 1988: 22-3. • Zischka, Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexikon, 1961: 63.

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