Geophysical travellers: the magneticians of the Carnegie Institution of Washington

Abstract

AbstractBetween 1904 and World War II, a group of researchers ranged the world over in an effort to understand the Earth's magnetism. They called themselves ‘magneticians’ and they worked for the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Directed by Louis Agricola Bauer (1865–1932) and John Adam Fleming (1877–1956), these investigators followed carefully selected routes through Africa, Asia, South America, and other remote regions. They carried with them a heavy complement of instruments, camp gear, and evening wear, for those times when they reached outposts of European civilization.