Page:A Short History of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1909).djvu/17

Rh About the first of April a small room on the second floor of a house on the east side of Second Street, then No. 121, near Race Street, was rented. Here the nucleus of the present library and museum was formed. Each member gave something, and although the "display of objects of science was calculated rather to excite merriment than to procure respect" the result formed the germ of the superb library and museum which have given the Academy distinction among scientific societies.

On the fifteenth of August, 1812, a collection of minerals containing about 2000 specimens, previously purchased from Dr. Seybert for $750 by Mr. Speakman, was acquired by the society, and soon after Dr. Troost delivered a course of lectures on mineralogy to the members and others. It is a tradition that the necessity of discharging the indebtedness incurred by the purchase of the Seybert minerals, was a bond of union during the first year or two of struggle and discouragement.

The collections, meager as they were, soon required more room and in September of the same year they were removed to apartments in the upper part of a house on the west side of Second Street, then No. 78, north of Arch. These quarters were called the Hall of the Academy. So little interest had the new society enlisted that at the close of its first year it consisted of but fourteen members and thirty-three correspondents.

During the following two years the museum and library increased more rapidly. Lectures on entomology were delivered by Mr. Say and on botany by Drs. Waterhouse and Barnes.

At the beginning of 1815 increased accommodation was again necessary and Mr. Gilliams built a hall on a vacant lot in the rear of his father's house on the north side of Arch Street east of Second. The collections were removed to it in July. The first period of the Academy's existence extended from its foundation to this, the first exclusive occupancy of a building.

As far as regards the permanency and prosperity of the society the most important event of these years was the election to membership in June, 1812, of William Maclure without whose help it would probably not have been possible to prolong its existence.

In 1816, a constitution was adopted and the society was legally incorporated the following year.

At the instance mainly of Mr. Maclure the Academy decided on the publication of a Journal, the first number of which was placed before the meeting held May 20, 1817. The first volume was issued