# James Eights > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/James_Eights > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/James_Eights.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Eights > Source revision: 1168547178 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American physician, scientist and artist}} '''James Eights''' (1798–1882) was an American [physician](/source/physician), [scientist](/source/scientist), and [artist](/source/artist). He was born in [Albany, New York](/source/Albany%2C_New_York), the son of physician Jonathan Eights and Alida Wynkoop. James also became a physician and was appointed an examiner at a local engineering school which is now known as [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute](/source/Rensselaer_Polytechnic_Institute). Eights became an assistant to [Amos Eaton](/source/Amos_Eaton) and helped complete the surveys along the [Erie Canal](/source/Erie_Canal). Upon the recommendation of [Amos Eaton](/source/Amos_Eaton), who called Eights "one of the most competent geologists in North America", Eights obtained the position of [naturalist](/source/natural_history) on the first voyage of discovery made outside the [United States](/source/United_States). He was a member of the "South Sea Fur Company and Exploring Expedition" of 1829. This was a private enterprise organized by [Jeremiah N. Reynolds](/source/Jeremiah_N._Reynolds). The expedition included two [brig](/source/brig)s, ''Annawan'' and ''Seraph'', commanded by Benjamin Pendleton and [Nathaniel B. Palmer](/source/Nathaniel_B._Palmer) respectively, plus the [schooner](/source/schooner) ''Penguin'' commanded by Alexander Palmer. Eights made observations of the flora and fauna in the lands reached by the expedition, which included [Patagonia](/source/Patagonia) and [Staten Island](/source/Isla_de_los_Estados). He was the first to describe a [trilobite](/source/trilobite) [fossil](/source/fossil) found on the [South Shetland Islands](/source/South_Shetland_Islands) in the [Antarctic](/source/Antarctic), a [pycnogonid](/source/pycnogonid), and the presence of [glacial erratic](/source/glacial_erratic)s.{{cite book|last1=Stanton|first1=William|title=The Great United States Exploring Expedition|date=1975|publisher=University of California Press|location=Berkeley|isbn=0520025571|pages=[https://archive.org/details/greatunitedstate00will/page/26 26–27]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/greatunitedstate00will/page/26}} Upon his return, James Eights published some of his materials in journals, but failed to obtain any further positions on exploratory voyages. He held himself out to be a [geologist](/source/geologist), [mineralogist](/source/mineralogist), and [surveyor](/source/Surveyor_(surveying)), obtaining some work away from Albany. Later he produced the [watercolors](/source/watercolors) and sketches of the Albany of his youth, by which he is now better known. He is believed to have never practiced medicine after the Antarctic expedition. Eights never married and lived his last years in the home of a sister. Eights died in [Ballston, New York](/source/Ballston%2C_New_York). The [Eights Coast](/source/Eights_Coast) of Antarctica and the short lived [Eights Station](/source/Eights_Station) exploration base were named in his honor. == External links == * {{cite web|title=The reincarnation of James Eights, Antarctic Explorer |url=http://members.global2000.net/bowser/eights2.html |accessdate=July 8, 2005 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050419213611/http://members.global2000.net/bowser/eights2.html |archivedate=April 19, 2005 }} — Eights and the 1830 Expedition * {{cite web|title=James Eights Art Gallery |url=http://members.global2000.net/bowser/8sgallery.html |accessdate=July 8, 2005 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050914172418/http://members.global2000.net/bowser/8sgallery.html |archivedate=September 14, 2005 }} — Some artwork of Eights ==References== {{reflist}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Eights, James}} Category:1798 births Category:1882 deaths Category:Artists from Albany, New York Category:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute faculty --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [James Eights](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Eights) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Eights?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.