Wonderment • Discovery • Wonderment
Beginnings ... a new manuscript ... Children’s Picture
Book Biography
Joseph Priestley
The True Story of a Rock Star
Scientist and the Discovery of Oxygen
By Rae McDonald
Two years
ago I sat in my creative space wondering about the author of a quote on a card
that had been propped on my desk for several years. That sublime combination of words was a gift
to my creative beginnings each and every time I sat down to make stories or
art. The card attributed the quote to
Joseph Priestley, and to that card, I will be forever thankful.
Quote as it
reads on the card:
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new
day...
with perhaps a bit of magic
waiting somewhere behind the morning.”
Joseph
Priestley
Who was
Joseph Priestley anyway? His delight in
a new day of discovery was so like mine. I had to know more, and so this
certified librarian headed straight to the Internet. Bingo! I found information galore. I loved the man already; he and I shared the same birthday. Double Bingo! Albeit his
was honored in a time of the Gregorian calendar.
Of course I
was impressed that this man was an 18-century natural philosopher, a chemist, an
educator, a clergyman, and an English dissenter interested in religious and
social reform. Even more marvelous on the screen before my eyes was the story
of this relentlessly curious and self-trained chemist who discovered OXYGEN. Yes,
this was the fellow that could come up with the inspirational quote that I held
so dear. WRONG!
Before I
explain myself, let me say that Joseph Priestley, this rock star of the 18th
century, captured my sense of wonderment like a lightening bolt and sent me
headlong into a yearlong investigation. It is always amazing to discover
another human who has similarities to one self, but one from 1700’s was even
more of a thrill. I am one hundred
percent sure that Joseph delighted in the prospect of new day led on by his own
curiosity and search for the truth.
Joseph made
discovery after discovery in the field of gases or “airs” as they were called
in his day. All of those discoveries were fueled by his one question, what is
common air anyway? Common air was the
term of the day for all those elements floating around everyone.
Joseph
tested his oxygen hypothesis at least three times for absolute certainty of
results. On August 1, 1774 using a very pure lump of mercurius calcinatus that
he carried all the way from France, and the strength of a burning lens, Joseph
was sure that his hypothesis was correct. He didn’t come up with the word oxygen;
his name for this air better than common air was depholgisticated air. Almost
simultaneously, Antoine Lavoisier, a French chemist, made the same discovery
and is credited with giving the name oxygen to this particular air.
Joseph
didn’t stop with oxygen, he moved right along to discover at least seven
other gases. To my joy, I learned that Joseph had also discovered how to make
homemade bubbly water. BINGO TIMES 3! Again, sparkling water is my beverage of
choice. Not to mention, carbonation has
appealed to the rest of the world in a mighty big way.
Chemistry apparatus from:
Experiments and Observations on Different Kids of Air by Joseph
Priestley (now in the public domain)
Prior the
discovery of oxygen, Joseph wrote two definitive books on the properties of
electricity under the mentorship of his friend Ben Franklin. Yes, friend to Ben Franklin, this fellow got
around even if he was somewhat of a recluse. Perhaps Joseph was hoarding spare time to play around in his
laboratory. His sense of wonder was fuel for discovery.
Ben Franklin: public domain image
Joseph had an incredibly
strong urge to teach and share ideas. Goodness, he is credited as the creator
of the modern timeline no less. See image here from public domain. Yes, all
great teachers make their own instructional materials if the best tool is not
out there. Way to go Joseph! That’s my
salute from the teachers of the world.
My own
chase for discovery resulted in a manuscript for a picture book biography. I have titled it:
Joseph Priestley
The True Story of a Rock Star
Scientist and the Discovery of Oxygen
Rock star, yes! The stars aligned. The lightening flashed.
The questions were asked. The ideas were massaged. Joseph never rested until he had answers. He
and other natural philosophers of the time made it their mission to crack the
codes of nature. The discoveries were made. And better yet, as the ideas were
re-examined, new questions were asked, and the wonderment and betterment of
discovery continued.
Here is
another marvelous quote made by the real Joseph Priestley. He wrote,
“...Like those who contented in on e of the games
of Ancient Greece, I shall immediately deliver my torch to any person who can
carry it... if others do the same, it may come into my hands several times
before we reach the goal.”
Joseph published his findings quickly knowing there
may be errors in his research. He championed the idea that another natural
philosopher may take up the task and improve the findings. Nature was a vast
world to explore. Working together was the key.
Who actually wrote the inspiring quote?
Now, let’s
return to that quote sitting on my desk. Who was the author? Indeed, it was an
Englishman, but one born sixty years after Joseph. My inspirational words
belong to a British novelist named John Boynton Priestley. Oh my, the card
company did need a little fact checking prior to publication. Despite their
error, I am ever so thankful that it led me almost three hundred years back in
time to make discoveries of my own.
Here is John Boynton Priestley’s actual quote:
“I have
always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more
start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.”
I find the
complete version even more compelling. A fresh try... I need these. One more start, I need those too, and so did
Joseph Priestley. I say thanks to both of these Englishmen for inspiring my
days.
My desk: Deep in the
research process. Note
The photo front of “thee” card is tucked behind the base of
my lamp.
Now I have
a story to sell with a vision of a picture book biography in the hands of young
readers. And, I and am working on a yet shorter version along with a longer
version with my own hopes that I hope will inspire young readers to make their
own marvelous investigations of our natural world.
Oxygen, oh
oxygen...thanks for helping to breath life into my stories. And thank you to my new friends at the Joseph Priestley house in Northumberland, PA. They will be having a grand celebration this first week in August. Their support for my research has been nonpareil. I am forever in their debt.
This
work has been identified as being free of known restrictions
under
copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights.
Public
Domain Mark1.0
