American mineralogist and botanist who ran a printing and bookselling business in Philadelphia. Solomon Conrad was never hugely successful in his printing enterprise, preferring to spend long periods of time in the field in search of specimens for his natural history 'salon', and he even began to deal in minerals. Born in Montgomery Couty, Pennsylvania, very little is known of his former years save that he had a strong interest in natural history and was most likely apprenticed to a printer or bookseller. Around 1801 he established his business in Philadelphia but this failed due to difficulties with his partner. After 1815 he opened up shop once more on his own.

Taking long walks along the Schuylkill he searched for natural history artefacts including plants, shells and minerals, and his personal collection attracted the most important scientific figures in Philadelphia. Later his knowledge of the natural world led to his employment at the University of Pennsylvania, first as a lecturer in mineralogy (1823) and later as professor of botany (1829).

Conrad was a member of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences and also the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, founding the Agricultural Almanack in 1816. Other publications of his include his "Table of the Constituent Parts of Earthly Minerals" (1815), listing 150 minerals and rocks, and descriptions of new species of Juncus L. and Corallorhiza Gagnebin. Conrad died just a few years after beginning his employment as professor of botany and his herbarium came into the hands of the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences. Married to Elizabeth Abbot, his son, Timothy Abbott Conrad, also pursued a career in natural science, studying palaeontology and making illustrations.

Sources:
J.W. Harshberger, 1899, Botanists of Philadelphia: 125-126
W.E. Wilson, 2011, "Solomon W. Conrad (1779-1831)", Mineralogical Record, Biographical Archive:
http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=1075, accessed 18 April 2011.