Josua Lindahl was born in Kungsbacka, Halland (Sweden) on January 1, 1844. He was only 10 years old when his father died and he was sent to relatives in Karlshamn. There he attended public schools and subsequently took the student's examination at the University of Lund on May 26, 1863. He received the degree of doctor of philosophy in 1874, and the following year was appointed docent in zoology at Lund University. During a period of five years, before coming to the United States, Dr. Lindahl participated in many important scientific expeditions and thus established a name for himself as a great scientist.
He was married to Sophie Pahlman in 1877. They had two sons and two daughters. The older
son died at a young age in 1881, in Rock Island, Illinois. In December, 1878, Dr. Lindahl became a professor of natural science and mathematics at Augustana College and Theological Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois. Lindahl is remembered as the first full-time science teacher at Augustana College and laid the foundation for his successor, John Udden, a later professor of geology. .
In 1888, Dr. Lindahl left Augustana having been appointed to the position as state geologist and curator at the Illinois Natural History Museum, Springfield. The condition of the Museum was chaotic, and Lindahl worked hard to put it into working order. He resigned after five years following the change of governors since his position was a political appointment.
Dr. Lindahl passed away in Chicago on April 19, 1912. His death was unexpected and was considered a great loss to the Swedish-American community. He was one of the foremost celebrities in cultural circles and in the scientific world.
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The Personal series (1876-1902) contains biographical information and photographs of Josua Lindahl.
The Correspondence series (1877-1897) contains 65 letters (negative photostat copies) written to Dr. Edward Oscar Ulrich, a stratigrapher and paleontologist. Also included are letters written by Lindahl to C.W. Foss, an Augustana professor, about the difficulties of Lindahl's reappointment as Illinois State Museum curator.
The Specimens series (1876, 1878 and undated) contains lists of exhibit materials sent from Sweden to the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. Joshua Lindahl was sent to Philadelphia by the Swedish government as an assistant to the Commissioner General of the Centennial Exposition. Also includes an 1878 list of specimens gifted to Augustana from Stockholm, and bound museum specimen accession lists.
The Pamphlets series (1844-1958 scattered and undated) is divided into three sub-series: English pamphlets, Swedish pamphlets, and pamphlets in other languages which include German, French and other Scandinavian languages. This series is very large and consists of scientific pamphlets once owned by Lindahl that bear his signature and number in his personal library. Also included are pamphlets and literature from 1876 and 1893 exhibitions. |
Box 1
Series I. Personal
Copy of biography with cover letters, 1902 (cover letters 1989)
Photographs, 1876, 1891 and undated
Series II. Correspondence
Early letters (negative photostats), 1877 and 1891
Letters to E.O. Ulrich (negative photostats), 1888-1889
Letters to E.O. Ulrich (negative photostats), 1890
Letters to E.O. Ulrich (negative photostats), 1891
Microfilm of letters to E.O. Ulrich, 1888-1893
Letters to C.W. Foss. 1896-1897
Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1897
Box 2
Series III. Specimens
List of exhibit material sent by Sweden to the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, 1876
List of specimens sent to Augustana from Stockholm Hogskola, 1878
Museum specimen accession book (unbound), undated
Oversized book of Augustana Museum acquisitions [Box 22], undated
Box 3
Series IV. Pamphlets
Sub-series 1: Pamphlets in English
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in English), 1847
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in English), 1854
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in English), 1856-1858
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in English), 1863-1870
Box 4
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in English), 1870-1875
Box 5
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in English), 1876-1879
Box 6
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in English), 1879-1887
Box 7
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in English), 1888-1890
Box 8
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in English), 1891-1892
Box 9
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in English), 1893, 1895, 1905, 1911, 1936 and undated
Box 10
Pamphlets from the 1876 Exhibition, 1876
Box 11
Pamphlets from the 1876 Exhibition, 1876
Pamphlets from the 1893 Exhibition, 1893
Box 12
Sub-series 2: Pamphlets in Swedish
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Written in Swedish), 1844-1866 scattered
Box 13
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Swedish), 1867-1872
Box 14
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Swedish), 1872-1874
Box 15
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Swedish), 1874-1880, 1882
Box 16
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Swedish), 1884-1886, 1888-1889, 1891-1893, 1957-1958 and undated
Box 17
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl (Swedish), undated
Box 18
Sub-series 3: Pamphlets in Other Languages
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl, 1844,1847, 1852, 1854, 1856-1859, 1861-1865, 1867-1870
Box 19
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl, 1871-1876
Box 20
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl, 1877-1882, 1884, 1886-1893
Box 21
Scientific Pamphlets and Essays belonging to Lindahl, 1901, 1914 and n.d.
Box 22 (Oversize)
Series III. Specimens
Oversized book of Augustana Museum acquisitions [Box 22], undated
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