William Wadden Turner

Summary

William Wadden Turner (1811-1859) a noted philologist was trained as a librarian at Columbia College in New York City. He moved to Washington, DC, in 1852 to organize the library of the Patent Office and soon became a close friend of the Smithsonian's Assistant Secretary Spencer F. Baird. His sisters soon followed and the household now included William's wife and a growing family. The entire Turner family spent their Sundays and holidays at the Baird's, part of the warm network of young scholars that Spencer and Mary Churchill Baird created in their home. In 1857, Baird asked William to assume responsibility for the Smithsonian library, and William delegated the task of preparing the catalogue to his sister Jane.

Subject

• Baird, Spencer Fullerton 1823-1887
• Patent Office Early History
• Smithsonian Library

Category

Historic Images of the Smithsonian

Contained within

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95 - Photograph Collection, 1850-

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

c. 1850

Restrictions & Rights

No restrictions

Topic

• Museum libraries
• Smithsonian Institution
• Personnel management
• Employees
• Librarians
• Smithsonian Institution--Employees

Form/Genre

• Photographic print
• Portraits

ID Number

SIA2014-01823

Physical description

Number of Images: 1; Color: Black and white; Size: 4.25w x 6.5; Type of Image: Portraits; Medium: Photographic print

Full Record

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