"A dangerous visionary"? The Lectures of the Evolutionist T.J. Parker

Abstract

Education, information and entertainment: three qualities that marked a good exposition but which were difficult to keep balanced in equal measure, especially before the experienced listeners of late nineteenth-century audiences. The balance was particularly difficult for those lecturers who tackled evolution, a slippery concept open to misunderstanding, incomprehension and plain disbelief. Thomas Jeffery Parker (1850–1897) was one of the first generation of fully trained biologists for whom evolution was the fundamental guiding principle that gave meaning to their scientific studies. This paper investigates the efforts of Parker as he lectured on the subject to a variety of audiences. It explains his motivation and formative influences in the context of other rational entertainment on offer in Dunedin, but concentrates on his performance. Parker adjusted his performance according to the audience before him as he maintained a balance not only between education, information and entertainment, but also between the poor reputation of many "popular" lectures and the serious nature of his didactic zoology.