The scientist Dr. Charles D. Walcott was the fourth secretary of the Smithsonian, serving from 1907 until 1927. His fascination with geology began when he was thirteen years old and a wagon wheel uncovered a vein of fossils near his home. He traveled all over the world in support of his research, collecting fossils and plants from Canada, South America, and China.
![The Surgeon [reverse copy], Netherlandish 16th Century, after Lucas van Leyden](https://api.nga.gov/iiif/6dbf4146-9124-4b49-afeb-1396984ad6ee/full/!2400,2400/0/default.jpg)
