Robert J. Belford an Ernst Haeckel, Los Angeles, 16. Dezember 1912
BELFORD & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK, CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES
319 Homer Laughlin
December
sixtenth
Nineteen twelve.
Professor Ernst Haeckel
Jena, Germany
Dear friend Ernst Haeckel:
I am delighted to get your letter, dated Nov. 26 and the Naturgeschichte, Natur und Mensch and the two specimens in colors of your water-color work. As there is no human being living sufficiently developed to bestow a like honor on you, I fear you cannot fully appreciate my feeling of gratitude for your kindness; probably when you first corresponded with Charles Darwin you had a feeling akin to mine now. I am honoring myself more than you in saying this. Your kindness makes me feel that my labor and study to better myself the last 40 years has recieved an unexpected recognition. I doubt if any person that attemted to fathom the so-called laws of some skyey-mogul ever got a modicum of the satisfaction that I am experiencing because of what I owe to you.
You will find herein a list of those works that I think would make a credible memorial edition of your labours. You omit two books, probably an inadvertency, namely: Gesammelte Popular Vorträge, and, Anthropogenie. Of course I cannot agree with you that there are any of your books that are not worth while translating into English; however, I think the omission of the most scientifically technical ones is not amiss, for in all proability the more popular books deals with everything contained in them. I would suggest that you consider adding at least one volume from the Challenger Reports, so as the plates with descriptive titles may be used -- these plates surely would be instructive an even give pleasure to non-scientific readers. If you could add one or two more to my list, so much the better. I figure, roughfully of course, that there are about 4,000 pages to translate. This is not such a formidable undertaking as you seem to imagine. It is merely a question of money and intelligent translators; both of which I feel confident of getting. What troubles me most, is arranging on satisfactory terms with the various publishers that now publish the English translations. Harper & brothers may be difficult to deal with but I believe I shall have no trouble with the English publishers but you can do most everything when the money is forthcoming -- in business I mean of course. The Wanderbilder astonishes me; we could not do without it fort he Edition de Luxe and the Library edition but would have to omit in it in the popular edition. I desire to make three editions to sell where ever the English language is read. Surely a great artist was modified -- not spoiled -- when you became the greatest scientist and philosopher the world has produced. Thank be to the good, the beautiful and the truth that you are what you are. It is not to-day but generations to come for centuries that will say just what I am feebly trying to express. I must get a copy straightway for my own pleasure, now that I have a taste of the beauty in this pictures.
As I wrote in the first place, I will not do anything without your approval, hence I wish your opinion on a plan that I have underway. I believe I can get a very wealthy German to provide the capital necessary to bring out the set; he would I am sure be honored to be known as the patron of such an enterprise. However, he has made his money by hard work and honestly, which you cannot say of our rich men, and would desire the edition to be published on strictly business principles; he to get back his investment with interest of course. Now, I am confident that the profits will be immense, therefore, the question arises to what purpose these profits ought to be put. Personally, I merely would take what my time was worth, the same as any person working on the enterprise. Would you be opposed should we decide to use the profits to erect a memorial Free Hall of Science and ||
#2 Ernst Haeckel
of Philosophy here on the Pacific Coast, to be known as The Haeckel Institute, devoted exclusively to continuing on the lines of your life’s work. This idea would be highly satisfactory to my rich acquaintance; would add to the sales and would do more good than even the incalcuable benefit to be derived from the diffusiona of this edition where ever English is spoken. This may sound a bit visionary but it is not; there should be a half-million of dollars profit that could be so devoted. Surely a fair nucleus of such an Institute. Others would be found to contribute could we but make the start. There is nothing on this Coast worthy of the name of museum or zoological laboratory like Dr. Dohrn’s (I hope I have his name right.) Los Angeles, you know is virtually at the Ocean; automobiles can reach the surf in 35 minutes, hence Los Angeles, now a City of half a million souls, would be a proper location for such an Institute. Please consider what I have written and give me your views on the subject. I assure you monuments of bronze and marble appeal not at all to me. The Institute that Thompson -- alas Count Rumford -- the New England grocer-boy, helped to establish in Europe are greater monuments than all the stone and metal monuments in the world. However, should you have the slightest objection to the plan, then it stops right here, for I will not consult others till I hear from you.
It occurs to me this moment, therefore, down it goes: would it be too much labor to autograph 200 or 210 sheets, say, 10 x 8 inches in size on substantial paper, numbering the sheets consecutively, thus: No. 1. Ernst Haeckel to No. 210. Then have them placed in a safe, so that they may be forthcoming when our Edition de Luxe is ready. If you know the American character as I do, you would understand the great value of these autographs. In a word, a limited edition of 200 sets autographed will bring fully ten (10-) times as much as the same set unautographed. Now in event my plans or my health fails, these autographs will be of considerable value to your children. I am ready and have been for many years for the trip to Nirvana: it has no more terror for me than going to bed and to sleep when very tired. I feel sorry for those poor souls that ever live in fear of dissolution. Some how -- got a „hunch“ as Americans say in slang when they have a premonition-feeling not susceptible of verification -- I feel that you have many years yet to spend with us. Probably I gather this idea from reading Boelsche’s Life. Unless the tremenduous[!] work that you have done has underminedb your physical organs, which I doubt, your mind being as strong as ever, I cannot see that heredity and your sensible adaptation through life should make even 80 years a serious consideration. Yes, I knew oft he deplorable accident but I was in the hope that you had recovered from the fall. At any rate, I am glad to hear that you were in better health when I wrote, I sincerely hope it has continued so. My own is improved but I shall never be free from pain; born wrong and ever been one oft he ricketty physical kind. I have made the best of a bad job.
No, I have not got the Biography by Breitenbach and by May. Is it in English? I thought I had every thing of yours that has been translated into English. I will have to get it of course.
I am making a litte collection of pictures Of Pacific Coast Scenes to send you. I know Von Humboldt appreciated the beauty of this country and it occured to me that they might give you a few moments pleasure. Humboldt when he was here presented a large crayon portrait of himself to General John C. Fremont; while I was publishing Fremont’s Memoirs, he was good enough to give to me the Humboldt’s portrait. It and a large copper-plate portrait of Darwin and one of yourself are hung in my library facing my bed -- I sleep in the library -- hence the first objects my eyes light on every morning are the three patron saints, so to speak. At least that is what my litte friend, now gone ||
#3 Ernst Haeckel
to his everlasting rest, General Homer Lea, dubbed my trinity of heroesc.
Parenthetically, allow me to say that your Kaiser thinks so much of Homer Lea’s The Day of the Saxon that he is having it republished in German; it no doubt will be out before this reaches you. I will have Mrs. Homer Lea send you a copy. It is of course written from the old militant point of view and is strong for militarism and all it implies; otherwise the Kaiser would not have noticed it. It too is pro German and anti English. Though I loved the little General as a father loves a son, I never could agree with his ideas of militancy. Militancy must vanish as has slavery and feudalism. Fear and fear only keeps the remnants of it stirring; conditions are slowly changing that will abolish it altogether.
Reverting to the set for a second; I would like could you add 800 pages more to what are on the list herein, that is, to translate. Are all the plates in the Challenger books in colors? I would have The Wanderbilder work done in Germany by the same house that produced the German edition. In an edition of the nature in question, don’t you believe the titles in English should be literally the same as the original; e. g. The History of Creation is really not appropriate nor is it good sense in my opinion. You know how strong the superstition of the printed word obsesses the minds of most persons. No great wonder, were not all books printed from moveable type, at first, religious works that were plenarily inspired; how easy then do the rest? The word Creation has but one meaning in English -- it pre-supposes a Creator, hence design in nature. The Missing Link is misleading and nearly vulgar. Contrariwise, The Evolution of Man could not be bettered. I knew the Avelings years ago, but I cannot say that the title, The Pedigree of Men is a happy one; no doubt invented to catch the eye of popular readers. The two portraits of you that give the greatest pleasure are, the one at Natur und Mensch, which you just sent me.
I have much more to say but this disjointed and rambling letter must suffice to-day. With my affectionate regards and with the hope that thisd will reach you whene feeling much stronger, I remain,
Most sincerly your friend,
Robert J. Belford
Robert J. Belfordf ||
SUGGESTION
of a
MEMORIAL EDITION DE LUXE of
ERNST HAECKEL’S WORKS
List of his books in chronological form.
#1. 1868. Naturliche Schopfungsgeschichte; Englished as, The History of Creation, 2 vols.
#2. 1878. Freie Wissenschaft und Freie Lehre; Englished as, Freedom in Science and Teaching
#3. 1878. Gesammelte Popular Vortrage; Englished as, The Pedigree of Man. (Omitted in Haeckel’s list to me, R. J. B.)
#4. 1875. Arabische Korallen g; not Englished.
#5. 1882. Indische Reisebriefe; Englished as, A Visit to Ceylon
#6. 1887. Challenger Reports of Radiolaria, Siphonophorae, Keratosa and Medusae; Englished in about 2,500 pages with 200 plates. (I suggest taking from this enough to make one volume, reproducing all the plates, with descriptiveh titles. R.J.B.)
#7. 1890. Plankton-Studien; Englished as, Planktonic-studies.
#8. 1891. Anthropogenie; Englished as The Evolution of Man, New Ed. (Omitted in Haeckel’si list to me, R.J.B.)
#9. 1892. Monismus; Englished as, The confession of Faith of Man of Science.
#10. 1894. Systematische Phylogenie; not Englished.
#11. 1895. Systematische Phylogenie Vertebrata; not Englished.
#12. 1896. Systematische Phylogenie Invertebrata. Not Englished.
#13. 1900. Kunstformen der Natur; not Englished.
#14. 1901. Aus Insulinde; not Englished.
#15. 1902. Gemeinverstandlichej vortrage und Abhandlungen aus dem Gebiete der Entwickelungslehre, 2 vols; not Englished. ||
#2 List of Haeckel’s Books
#16. 1904. Die Lebenswunder; Englished as, The wonders of Life.
#17. 1905. Der Kampf um den Entwickelungsgedanken; Englished as, Last Words on Evolution.
#18. 1905. Wanderbilder, 40 colored reproductions of Haeckel’s water-colors; Not done in English.
#19. 1906. Prinzipien der Generallen Morphologie der Organismen; not Englished.
#20. 1908. The Last Link. Englished.
#21. 1908. Unsere Ahnenreihe (Progonotaxis Hominis) Not Englished.
#22. 1899.k Die Weltrathsel; Englished as, The Riddle of the Universe. (This is out of its place, should be #13.)
#23. Life of Haeckel; Englished by McCabe.
a korr. aus: difusion, b korr. aus: underminded; c korr. aus: heros; d egh. eingef.: this; e egh. eingef.: when; f egh. Unterschr.; g gestr.: der Protisten and Pflanzen; h korr. aus: descrptive; i korr. aus.: Heackel’s; j irrtüml.: Genienverstandliche; k gestr.: 1904; eingef.: 1899