Mathew Carey Lea | |
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| Born | (1823-08-18)August 18, 1823 |
| Died | March 15, 1897(1897-03-15) (aged 73) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Burial place | Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Chemist, lawyer |
| Spouses | |
| Relatives | Isaac Lea (father) Frances Anne Carey (mother) Henry Charles Lea (brother) Henry Charles Carey (uncle) Matthew Carey (grandfather) |
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Mathew Carey Lea (August 18, 1823 – March 15, 1897) was an Americanchemist known for his research on the chemical and physical properties ofsilver halide salts and their usage in photography. He pioneered early work inmechanochemistry and developed Carey Lea Silver, a photochemical still in use today.
Lea was born inPhiladelphia on August 16, 1823.[1] His father,Isaac Lea was apublisher,conchologist and geologist. His grandfather wasMathew Carey, the Irish-American publisher and economist.[2]
He received his education through private tutors including the mathematicianEugenius Nulty.[3] Lea received aclassical education including thetrivium (grammar, logic and rhetoric),quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music and celestial navigation). classical languages and history. Nulty immersed Lea in a single subject for long periods to encourage its complete mastery.[4] Lea also received instruction in the Booth & Boy private chemical laboratory.[5]
On July 14, 1852, Lea married Elizabeth Jaudon (1827-1881), sister of his brother,Henry Charles Lea's wife. Elizabeth had earlier married merchant William Bakewell, but Blakewell had died in Cincinnati in 1850, leaving her with a young daughter.[6] The couple had a son, George Henry Lea (1853–1915), who helped in the family publishing business. After Elizabeth's death, Carey Lea married Eva Lovering, daughter of Harvard ProfessorJoseph Lovering, but they had no children.[7]
Lea became interested in photography and in 1840, created a series of images of his father's plant and shells collection that was displayed at theAmerican Philosophical Society.[2]
Lea read the law under the tutelage of prominent attorneyWilliam M. Meredith, and in 1847 was admitted to thePennsylvania Bar.[8] The highly successful family publishing firm published some legal books.[9] However, Lea was sickly, and left the practice of law to travel to Europe and other places for his health, as well as to pursue his scientific avocation.[10]
Lea worked in the laboratory of ProfessorJames C. Booth, and constructed a laboratory in his home in Philadelphia'sChestnut Hill neighborhood. In 1841, theAmerican Journal of Science and Arts published his first paper at his father's request, "On the First, or Southern Coal Field of Pennsylvania" and that publisher would ultimately publish approximately 100 more.[11] In July 1864, he published two papers concerning aspects ofplatinum.[12]
Lea devoted himself chiefly to the chemistry ofphotography, to which he made a number of important contributions.[13] He was recognized as an authority on the chemical and physical attributes ofsilver halide salts and their usage in photography.[14] He also published 300 technical articles and correspondences in theBritish Journal of Photography,[15] as well as a book on photography entitled,A Manual of Photography: Intended as a Text Book for Beginners and a Book of Reference for Advanced Photographers.[16] His publications include numerous papers on thechemical action of light. He is also known for his development ofCarey Lea Silver, a photochemical, still in use today.[17]
Due to the loss of an eye during an experiment withpicric acid, and his constantly ill condition, Lea spent most of his time in solitude. As a result, few chemists knew Lea personally, his only interaction with the science community was the publication of his studies.[2]
He was not associated with any Universities.[18] In 1848, he joined theFranklin Institute and took a special interest in the chemistry section. In 1895, he was elected to theNational Academy of Sciences.[7]
Lea died on March 15, 1897, at his Chestnut Hill home from complications of a prostate cancer operation.[7] He was interred atLaurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.[19] He ordered his notebooks destroyed, and they were, which has complicated research into his work.[18] Along with other charitable bequests, Lea bequeathed his books and scientific apparatus to the Franklin Institute, plus funds to allow the institution to continue to purchase books and periodicals.[7]
His contributions to mechanical chemistry exceed the contributions to photography for which he received acclaim in his lifetime.[20]
jaudon philadelphia.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Lea, Mathew Carey".New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead. p. 40.| International | |
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