Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- ILLUSTRATIONS
- CHAPTER I MY ANCESTRY
- CHAPTER II ALEXANDER NASMYTH
- CHAPTER III AN ARTIST'S FAMILY
- CHAPTER IV MY EARLY YEARS
- CHAPTER V MY SCHOOL-DAYS
- CHAPTER VI MECHANICAL BEGINNINGS
- CHAPTER VII HENRY MAUDSLEY, LONDON
- CHAPTER VIII MAUDSLEY'S PRIVATE ASSISTANT
- CHAPTER IX HOLIDAY IN THE MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS
- CHAPTER X BEGIN BUSINESS AT MANCHESTER
- CHAPTER XI BRIDGEWATER FOUNDRY—PARTNERSHIP
- CHAPTER XII FREE TRADE IN ABILITY—THE STRIKE—DEATH OF MY FATHER
- CHAPTER XIII MY MARRIAGE—THE STEAM HAMMER
- CHAPTER XIV TRAVELS IN FRANCE AND ITALY
- CHAPTER XV STEAM HAMMER PILE DRIVER
- CHAPTER XVI NUREMBERG—ST. PETERSBURG—DANNEMORA
- CHAPTER XVII MORE ABOUT BRIDGEWATER FOUNDRY—WOOLWICH ARSENAL
- CHAPTER XVIII ASTRONOMICAL PURSUITS
- CHAPTER XIX MORE ABOUT ASTRONOMY
- CHAPTER XX RETIREMENT FROM BUSINESS
- CHAPTER XXI ACTIVE LEISURE
- CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF INVENTIONS AND CONTRIVANCES
- SUN-RAY ORIGIN OF THE PYRAMIDS, AND CUNEIFORM CHARACTER
- INDEX
- Plate section
CHAPTER III - AN ARTIST'S FAMILY
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2010
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- ILLUSTRATIONS
- CHAPTER I MY ANCESTRY
- CHAPTER II ALEXANDER NASMYTH
- CHAPTER III AN ARTIST'S FAMILY
- CHAPTER IV MY EARLY YEARS
- CHAPTER V MY SCHOOL-DAYS
- CHAPTER VI MECHANICAL BEGINNINGS
- CHAPTER VII HENRY MAUDSLEY, LONDON
- CHAPTER VIII MAUDSLEY'S PRIVATE ASSISTANT
- CHAPTER IX HOLIDAY IN THE MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS
- CHAPTER X BEGIN BUSINESS AT MANCHESTER
- CHAPTER XI BRIDGEWATER FOUNDRY—PARTNERSHIP
- CHAPTER XII FREE TRADE IN ABILITY—THE STRIKE—DEATH OF MY FATHER
- CHAPTER XIII MY MARRIAGE—THE STEAM HAMMER
- CHAPTER XIV TRAVELS IN FRANCE AND ITALY
- CHAPTER XV STEAM HAMMER PILE DRIVER
- CHAPTER XVI NUREMBERG—ST. PETERSBURG—DANNEMORA
- CHAPTER XVII MORE ABOUT BRIDGEWATER FOUNDRY—WOOLWICH ARSENAL
- CHAPTER XVIII ASTRONOMICAL PURSUITS
- CHAPTER XIX MORE ABOUT ASTRONOMY
- CHAPTER XX RETIREMENT FROM BUSINESS
- CHAPTER XXI ACTIVE LEISURE
- CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF INVENTIONS AND CONTRIVANCES
- SUN-RAY ORIGIN OF THE PYRAMIDS, AND CUNEIFORM CHARACTER
- INDEX
- Plate section
Summary
Although Alexander Nasmyth had to a considerable extent lost his aristocratic connection as a portrait painter, yet many kind and generous friends gathered around him. During his sojourn in Italy, in 1783, he had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of Sir James Hall of Dunglass, Haddingtonshire. The acquaintance afterwards ripened into a deeply-rooted friendship.
During the winter season Sir James resided with his family in his town house in George Street. He was passionately attached to the pursuit of art and science. He practised the art of painting in my father's room, and was greatly helped by him in the requisite manipulative skill. Sir James was at that time engaged in writing his wellknown essay “On the Origin of Gothic Architecture,” and in this my father was of important help to him. He executed the greater number of the illustrations to this beautiful work. The book when published had a considerable influence in restoring the taste of architects to a style which they had heretofore either neglected or degraded.
Besides his enthusiasm in art and architecture, Sir James devoted a great deal of time to the study of geology. The science was then in its infancy. Being an acute observer, Hall's attention was first attracted to the subject by the singular geological features of the sea-coast near his mansion at Dunglass.
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- James Nasmyth, EngineerAn Autobiography, pp. 49 - 63Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1883