Lectures on Geology, 1832-1846

Charles Lyell lectured at King's College London in 1832 and again in 1833. He then gave a single course at the Royal Institution in 1833. For the latter courses, he re-used some material from his first course, and his notes can be mixed between both sets. The records suggest two stages in development - longer, prose like text is written on larger sheets of paper. Page numbering is inconsistent, and sections are crossed out, indicating they are rejected. These larger sheets of text are then condensed onto smaller pages (noteboook in size and orientation). These short notes sometimes list the illustrations he will use in the lectures. Lyell's handwriting is dominant in this series, though possibly early dated texts are written by his Clerk George Hall, and, by Mary Lyell. Alterations are then made by Lyell himself. Throughout the writing and delivery of these lectures, Lyell was also writing new text for volume 3 of the 1st Edition of Principles (1833), and revising the previous volumes. These texts are interpersed within this series - including text noted as being written for his Elements of Geology (1838) and some texts that do not appear to have been published at all. These texts appear in the 'miscelleanous' section. The act of crafting the lectures, learning and refining their articulation and delivery, at the same time as writing new text for his books, indicate that this series is an early important record of Lyell honing his science communication skills.