Lecture: Alexander von Humboldt’s Visit to Washington
Join Dr. Sandra Rebok for a virtual lecture, “Serendipity or Destiny? Alexander von Humboldt’s Visit to Washington in 1804,” co-sponsored by the Office of Historic Alexandria and the Alexandria Association. During the first days of June 1804, the Prussian explorer Alexander von Humboldt was a guest of President Jefferson in the White House, and took the opportunity to visit Georgetown, Alexandria, and Mount Vernon. This was at the end of his five-year exploration voyage through Spanish America, dedicated to the study of natural history, for which he had obtained an unprecedented authorization by the Spanish king Carlos IV. The visit also happened right after the Louisiana Purchase and the beginning of a series of exploration voyages into the West, when his expertise was of particular importance for the young nation.
This lecture comes just in time to coincide with the Smithsonian American Art Museum entitled “Alexander von Humboldt and the United States: Art, Nature, and Culture” open through January 3, 2021. Tour the exhibit and then learn more about Humboldt’s time in Washington, Mount Vernon, and Alexandria at the lecture!
Dr. Sandra Rebok is a historian, speaker and scientific consultant. Trained in Heidelberg, Paris and Madrid, she worked for many years at the Spanish National Research Council. Her research focuses on the globalization of science, intellectual networks and transnational scientific collaborations during the 19th century. She has over twenty years of experience in Humboldt scholarship, she is the author of several books on Humboldt and the editor of three of his works in Spanish. Learn more about Dr. Rebok at sandrarebok.net.
Tickets are $6, free for members of the Alexandria Association. Guests will receive an email with the Zoom meeting link, Meeting ID, and password by noon the day prior to the lecture. Please check junk mail before requesting assistance from the MuseumShop email below. Ticket sales will close at 11 a.m. December 6. Tickets can be purchased at AlexandriaVA.gov/Shop
