Lewis Evans (collector)

Lewis Evans (1853–1930) was an English businessman and scientific instrument collector.

Lewis Evans
Born1853
Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, England
Died25 September 1930
Dawlish, Devon, England
NationalityUnited Kingdom
OccupationBusinessman (paper maker)
Known forcollector of scientific instruments
Spouse(s)Eva Fanny Evans (nee Bradford)

He was the son of Sir John Evans, an archaeologist, and younger brother of the more famous archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans (1851–1941) who excavated the archaeological site Knossos in the island of Crete, Greece. He studied chemistry at University College London and became a businessman. During his career, he rose to the chairman role in the family paper-making firm John Dickinson & Co. Ltd and lived at Russels, a country house near the company's paper mill, close to Watford.

Over the course of approximately fifty years, Evans also built up an important collection of scientific instruments.[1] In 1924, he presented this collection of sundials, astrolabes, early mathematical instruments and associated library of early books to Oxford University. The Lewis Evans Collection was made accessible to the public in the same year and he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University in 1925.

Through the efforts of his friend Robert Gunther, Evans donation helped in the founding of the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford in 1930 by providing what became known as the Lewis Evans Collection of Historic Scientific Instruments, the core of the museum's initial collection. His library is also owned by the museum.[2]

References
  1. Peter de Clercq, Lewis Evans and the White City Exhibitions, Sphæra, Issue 11. Newsletter of the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford.
  2. Lewis Evans Library, Museum of the History of Science, Oxford.


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