While searching through correspondence sent from Tring Museum, I came across this sales catalogue, bound into a volume. It offers a wonderful glimpse into a lost world.

The Natural History Museum acquired some of its collections at auction houses in the nineteenth century. Many private collectors and museums bought and sold in this way.

The sale took place at Steven’s auction house, which operated from 38 King Street, Covent Garden. The house was well-known for selling items of ethnographic, scientific and zoological interest. Orchid sales were regularly held there during the 19^th century, as well as sales of other exotic plants. Stevens also sold Egyptian mummies, taxidermy, ‘mermaids’, and oddities from all over the British Empire. These good were very fashionable. They were a way for collectors to show off their education, taste and connoisseurship. 

Amongst the good on offer at this sale was a Great Auk Egg. Steven’s sold so many stuffed auks and auk eggs that at one point their telegram address was actually changed to ‘Auk’. The desire to possess these rare artefacts helped to make the Great Auk extinct.

Also on offer were some items from South Africa, previously exhibited at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. This exhibition was held in South Kensington and was intended "to stimulate commerce and strengthen the bonds of union now existing in every portion of her Majesty's Empire". The exhibition received 5.5 million visitors, which shows the Victorians’ fascination with global cultures.

The company closed following the Second World War.  Economic circumstances had changed and the British Empire was drawing to an end. International ‘curiosities’ were no longer fashionable or relevant in a globalised world. But judging from the numbers of visitors to the Natural History Museum, people are still just as interested in the curiosities of the natural world!

by Paul Henderson

(Professor at UCL and Scientific Associate, NHM)

This passport dated 15 June 1820 is for James De Carle Sowerby (1787-1871) to go to Paris via Dieppe. He was accompanying his sister Charlotte who was to stay in Paris for some weeks to learn French and presumably to help establish relationships between some French natural historians and the Sowerbys. James had left Paris by 16 July 1820 to return home. Charlotte returned home in October.

After an initial stay in a hotel, it was arranged for Charlotte  to lodge with an old military man, Monsieur Barzentin. His home was very close to that of Monsieur Dufresne (naturaliste-en-chef au Muséum d’histoire naturelle) who, with his family, kept a friendly eye on matters. The cost was £5 per month. She would have her own room and “will board with the family with the liberty of choosing tea or coffee”.

Soon after their arrival, James wrote to his father (James Sowerby 1757-1822) on 25 June 1820 to say “Mdme Dufresne & her daughter will lend their assistance in supplying Charlotte with fashions and making purchases for her so that she may not be imposed upon by the tradesfolk of Paris who charge the English frequently double price.”

On 1 August 1820 he wrote (now from London) to Charlotte to tell her that their father was unhappy with the cost of her stay in Paris and refuses her money to buy a watch.

Dates: James De Carle Sowerby was the oldest son of James Sowerby and Anne De Carle – born 5 June 1787. Charlotte Ann was the eighth and penultimate child, born 26 April 1802. 

Prof Henderson is currently writing a biography on James Sowerby to be published next year. The piece of ephemera referred to here is one small example from the Sowerby Family manuscript collection that we hold here at the Library & Archives. The collection includes a significant amount of correspondence and family papers, documents relating to specific Sowerby publications, drawings, biographical materials and portraits.

By Lisa Di Tommaso

(Special Collections Librarian)

Thomas Sopwith (1803 – 1879) was an influential figure in the world of geology throughout the 19th century. Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to a family of cabinet-makers, Sopwith learnt the trade as an apprentice to his father, winning an award at the 1851 Great Exhibition after designing a desk where all drawers could be secured using one single lock. He discovered a natural talent for drawing and planning, and developed a keen interest in mineral collecting.

Largely self-taught, Sopwith kept a diary and notes about his life from the age of 19 until his death, which leaves us with a great insight into his career and achievements. He became a land and mineral surveyor, and later a civil engineer - his work requiring him to determine mining boundaries, undertake mapping for land-owners, and survey for new railways in Britain and abroad. He is credited for convincing the government of the day to establish the Mining Records Office, strongly advocating the importance of preserving mining records.

Sopwith published a number of papers and treatises in relation to mining, geology and isometric (3-dimensional) drawing, often using his own engravings, which he taught himself to do. Throughout his career he collaborated with, among others, William Smith, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Adam Sedgwick, Michael Faraday, Roderick Murchison, Charles Lyell and Henry De La Beche. He also worked with George and Robert Stephenson on developing railways in France and Belgium.

Having made a number of large-scale wooden geological models designed to demonstrate the positions of veins of coals and iron-ore workings in various locations, Sopwith identified a need to create smaller versions to use for educational purposes and to aid those in the mining industry to understand common structures in the field or underground. Ranging in size from 3 inches to 4 inches square, the models were released in sets of six or twelve in a specially made case designed to resemble a book. The models were accompanied by a detailed explanatory text. The price varied from £2 to £5 depending on the number and size of the models purchased. First produced in 1841, the models were re-released in 1875. The Natural History Museum Library holds a set of twelve models which had been presented to the eminent geologist Professor William Buckland by Sopwith in gratitude for his continuing support.

(Above left) Model IV - Model to Show Fallacious Appearances. This depicts the scenario where from the surface an abundance of coal appears to exist, but there is actually very little quantity below.

(Above right) Model V – Showing Dislocations of Coal Strata. This example indicates that while very little may appear at ground level, coal seams (subject to faults and dislocations) can be found below the ground.

The generic models weren’t representative of specific locations; they were depicting examples of strata containing faults or dislocations and showing inclines, helping to predict locations of coal seams and lead deposits in the faults and to explain the nature of certain geological features. They represented various and potential geological phenomena in relation to mining – those aspects which were difficult to explain in words or represent in drawings. Each of the models shows the topographic surface of the ground, and then depicts layers, inclines, folds, faults and strata beneath. Some can be moved about to show different variations in a fault, and in some cases at least six different drawings would be needed to show the same scenario without a 3D model. They highlight the difficulty of seeing from ground level what may or may not be below, and they proved to be of invaluable assistance.

In his lifetime Sopwith belonged to no less than twenty-six learned societies and advocated many social causes such as universal suffrage and the entry of working class Members of Parliament to the House of Commons. He died in London in 1879, leaving a lasting legacy and contribution to the mining industry in Britain and geology more generally.

Further reading:

Sopwith, Robert. (1994) Thomas Sopwith surveyor: An exercise in self-help, Edinburgh: The Pentland Press

Richardson, Benjamin W. (1891) Thomas Sopwith, London: Longmans, Green & Co

(Below left) Model IX – Model of Undercut Strata. Showing how strata can be inclined at a steeper angle to the horizon than the surface of the ground.

(Below right) Model VI – Model Showing the Intersection of Mineral Veins. Depicting a succession of veins formed by various dislocations of the strata.

Although Neave Parker (1910-1961) had artistic ambitions from an early age, he was dissuaded from pursuing them by his father and was not allowed to attend art school. Instead, he took up employment in a bank but after just one disasterous week, he was firmly but kindly advised to seek another profession.

After working as a surveyor for a short while he then went on to serve in the Royal Air Force during World War II, working in the Photographic Unit. It was not until Parker was discharged that he finally was able to pursue art as a career. After making the acquaintance of Maurice Burton (1898-1992), a Scientific Associate at the Natural History Museum, London and also Honorary Science Editor at the Illustrated London News, he began a collaboration with Burton to produce animal illustrations for a non-technical audience. The first of his drawings of prehistoric animals appeared in the Illustrated London News on 30 September, 1950.

Burton then introduced him to Dr William Elgin Swinton (1900-1994), a palaeontologist at the Museum, and it was through this collaboration that Parker completed numerous dinosaur illustrations. These featured in a range of publications including The Dinosaurs (1970) and Dinosaurs: their discovery and their world (1961). He was also commissioned by the Museum to produce a series of reconstructions which were sold as postcards.

Parker pioneered the art of restoring entire palaeo-environments of dinosaurs and was highly regarded by his scientific associates at the Museum. His drawings in monochrome gouache and wash drawings became trademarks of his distinctive style, which vividly represented the formerly held opinions of how such creatures appeared.

Parker's other passions in life was food, beer, pistol shooting (he was a British Open Champion), photography and films. It was in a cinema that he suffered a fatal heart attack in 1961.

Learn more about our art collections and see some great examples via our Library & Archives pages.

Further reading:

Debus, Allen A. (1987) 'Neave Parker: vertebrate palaeontology's masterful necromancer', The Earth Science News, vol. 38, No. 11 pp.21-24

Debus, Allen A. and Debus, Diane E. (2002) Paleoimagery: the evolution of dinosaurs in art, Jefferson N. C.:McFarland & Co., Publishers

As a pioneer in the field of depicting symbiotic relationships, Maria Sibylla Merian is credited with inspiring such key entomological texts as De Nederlandsche Insecten (Sepp & Sepp, 1762) & British Entomology (Curtis, 1823-1840). Even today, her work is valued not just for its aesthetic appeal but also for the accuracy of its scientific content.

Born in Frankfurt am Main in 1647, Maria was the daughter of a Matthaeus Merian the Elder, a very well-known etcher, and Johanna Catharina Heim. After Matthaeus died in 1650, Johanna remarried. As a pupil of Georg Flegel (1566-1638), and a celebrated botanical artist in his own right, Maria’s stepfather Jacob Marrell (1614-1681) was to play a key part in the encouragement and development of Maria’s artistic talent. By the age of 11, Maria had learnt the art of copper engraving from her stepfather; by the age of 13 she was keeping a journal of her efforts rearing silkworms, including notes on metamorphosis. Both interests went on to shape her life.

Married at 18 years of age to the artist Johan Andreas Graff (1637-1701), Maria gave birth to her eldest daughter (Johanna Helena) in Frankfurt Am Main in 1668. After relocating in 1670 to Nuremburg, the couples’ second daughter (Dorothea Maria) was born in 1678.

Before, between, and after the birth of her daughters Maria continued developing her artistic talents. Using her own preparations of paints and dyes on vellum, paper, and linen, Maria produced a number of still life works but also shared her knowledge by teaching local girls flower painting and embroidery. Indeed, Maria’s first published work Neues Blumenbuch (1675-1680) was issued in parts intended as a pattern book for such pursuits.

In 1679, the first part of Maria’s Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung und sonderbare Blumen-nahrung was published. The work focused on insect metamorphosis, drawn from first-hand observations of life cycles and food plants, rather than drawings of dried specimens (as was usual at the time). Jan Goedaert (1617–1668) was known as a painter of insects (including their life cycle); Botanical artists such as Georg Flegel and Balthasar ven der Ast had included insects in their paintings. However, linking insects to the specific plants they lived and fed on was quite a new approach.

Referred to by Maria as her “caterpillar books”, Der Raupen also served to demonstrate Maria’s refinement of making counterproofs, or transfer prints. Most illustrations produced via the engraving process are a mirror image of the original illustration – Maria added an extra step to the process, pressing a fresh sheet of paper against the still-wet print from a copperplate. This removed any physical impression of the copperplate from the finished product, instead leaving an outline for the final painting. Radically for an author of the time, Merian often coloured the engravings herself. 

A major change in Maria’s life came in 1681, with the death of her stepfather Jacob Marrell.  Returning to her mother’s home in Frankfurt Am Main, Maria went on to publish a second part of Der Raupen in 1683, which was issued with an additional 50 plates and accompanying text.

Maria’s life took another unexpected turn in 1685, when she entered the religious Labadist commune in Wieuwerd, Friesland, of which her brother Caspar was already a member. Her mother and daughters joined her in the move; her husband did not. Hosted in Castle Waltha, tropical insects and plants in the commune’s natural history collections caught Maria’s interest. Maria and her daughters moved to Amsterdam in 1691 after the deaths of her brother and mother (1686 and 1690 respectively). In their new home, all three became well known as natural history painters.

In 1699, Maria took the life-changing decision to travel to Surinam. Funded by selling off her artwork and natural history collections, Maria was accompanied by her daughter Dorothea rather than a male companion. Although Surinam was a Dutch territory at the time, for a woman to travel unescorted in this way was quite controversial. Maria made the concession of drafting her will, but proceeded with her journey nonetheless.

2 months of sailing later, Maria and Dorothea arrived in Surinam. Despite the ridicule of local Dutch sugar planters, the two women collected, reared, and painted the insects and plants of urban and jungle areas. After a serious illness (perhaps Yellow Fever), Maria returned to Amsterdam in 1701 with an extensive collection of plants, insects, and artwork. All three formed the basis of her highly acclaimed work Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, first published in Amsterdam in 1705. The publication in Latin and Dutch was funded in part by Maria’s commissioned art and engraving work.

Many editions were coloured by Maria’s equally talented daughters, but although Metamorphosis used Maria’s original watercolours for all the illustrations, only three of the engravings made were her own. Many of the insects and plants depicted in the work were new or little known to scientists, with plants such as pineapples, prickly custard-apples, frangipani, pomegranates, bananas, watermelons, guavas, and cashews all making an appearance. Plants depicted were both wild and cultured, due to having been chosen for their relationship with the insects they hosted.

A good indicator of the esteem in which Maria’s work was held might be considered the 1711 purchase by James Petiver of some of her artwork, on behalf of Sir Hans Sloane, and the 1717 purchase of her original drawings by Czar Peter the Great. Later, although not impressed with the cost of her works, Carl Linnaeus still cited her illustrations for several plant species and over 100 animal species. Since that time, At least 6 plants, 9 butterflies, 2 bugs, 1 spider, and 1 lizard have named in Maria’s honour.

Unfortunately Maria suffered a stroke in 1715, and was unable to continue her work. In 1717, at the age of 70, she died in Amsterdam.

Shortly after Maria’s death, a third volume of Der Raupen was published by her daughter Dorothea; this was followed in 1719 by the second edition of Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium. The second edition of Metamorphosis was again published only in Latin and Dutch, but included 12 additional plates – 10 by Maria, 2 after the collections of Albert Seba. These plates provoked criticism by the scientific community due to some baffling inaccuracies – one plate suggested that American frogs metamorphosed into tadpoles, as opposed to European tadpoles growing into frogs! Criticisms of Maria’s work also stemmed from her emphasis on biology and observation rather than taxonomy. Although the Linnean system of binomial nomenclature that is used today wasn’t introduced until 1753, taxonomy and taxonomic names were still considered crucial to the scientific process.

In all, Metamorphosis appeared in 5 editions. The 3^rd and 5^th editions (The Hague, 1726 and Paris, 1771) appeared in Latin and French; the 4^th edition (Amsterdam, 1730), was a translation in Dutch.

Although her interest was primarily in insects, Maria’s realistic and detailed paintings of the plants they live on have ensured her work is valuable is not just to art lovers, but also to scientific community.

Bibliography.

Harvey, J.H.V.                               

Maria Sibylla Merian: The Surinam album (commentary) (London: The Folio Society, 2006).

Magee, J.                                    

Art of Nature: Three centuries of natural history art from around the world (London: Natural History Museum, 2009).

Ogilvie, M. & Harvey, J.                 

The biographical dictionary of women in science: Volume 2, L-Z (New York & London: Routledge, 2000). Pp.884-885

Pieters, F.F.J.M. & Winthagen, D.  

Maria Sibylla Merian, naturalist and artist (1647-1717): a commemoration on the occasion of the 350^th anniversary of her birth. Archives of natural history. (London: Society for the History of Natural History). Vol. 26, part 1 (February, 1999), pp.1-153

Stearn, W. T.                                

Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) as a botanical artist. Taxon (Utrecht: International Bureau for Plant Taxonomy and Nomenclature). Vol. 31, part 3 (August 1982), pp. 529-534.

Missionary Needlework etc.  Collected by the Rev. G. E. Smith (1805-1881)]

by Sarah Vincent (Electronic Resources Librarian)

Recently unearthed from the collections by a slightly bemused librarian, Missionary Needlework etc., illustrates the importance of not judging a book by its cover, or indeed its title. There is a singular lack of needlepoint contained within the marbled covers of this 18th century scrapbook; it has instead been repurposed to hold a lovingly compiled collection of natural history drawings, cuttings, notes and photographs collected by the Reverend Gerard Edward Smith.

Smith was born in Camberwell in 1805. He studied at Oxford and, after being ordained in 1829, became Vicar of Sellinge, Kent. After marrying Isabella March Clark in 1935, Reverend Smith moved  to the North of England and spent the next 40-ish years as the Vicar of Cantley, Ashton Hayes and Osmaston, respectively, before retiring to Ockbrock.

Throughout his career, Smith enthusiastically pursued a side-line interest in the study of the natural world. He was a keen amateur botanist and, alongside his wife, spent time collecting, drawing and painting examples of local flora. He even found time to author several books on British botany, which are also held in the NHM Library.

Smith’s interest in the world around him did not end with plants, as demonstrated by Missionary Needlework, etc., which is a highly personal scrapbook composed of a brilliantly diverse and eclectic range of zoological articles, paintings, prints and illustrations (many of which were apparently drawn by Smith himself). These items have been meticulously pasted in place and arranged systematically in rough order of biological complexity. It begins with a rather charming human skeleton and finishes with some less charming parasitic worms, taking in such marvels as creepily smug dolphins and beautifully painted beetles along the way.

We received Missionary Needlework etc., as a donation from Aimee Clark in 1933. Aimee’s aunt, May Senior Clark, was presumably a relative of Isabella’s  and received Smith’s natural history collections following his death in 1881. From Aimee’s introductory letter, we can gain some insight into Smith’s character: apparently he was very popular with younger members of the family and was regarded as ‘a real playfellow’.
This description is backed up by one of the most charming items contained in the scrapbook, an inserted miniature pamphlet about bats, which was illustrated and written by a 21-year old Smith and dedicated to ‘the amusement of my little friends’.

This pamphlet covers a range of fascinating bat-themed topics and provides valuable advice to those travelling in areas inhabited by the vampire flitter mouse, namely to sleep with your feet covered up in order to avoid being bitten and ‘passing from a state of sound sleep to that of death’.

Fittingly, the pamphlet closes with a poetic description of the incident that inspired its creation, a home invasion by a rather confused long-eared bat: 

‘Prithee look dear Papa! What a wonder is here!
A winged little mouse, it would seem, I declare!
Where the door was wide opened, I saw it fly in,
So quite certain I am that it flits thro’ the air!’

Mark Catesby was born in Essex in 1683, the son of John Catesby, a lawyer and a gentleman farmer. Catesby developed an interest in natural history after meeting naturalist John Ray. The Catesby family were of medium wealth and the inheritance Mark received upon the death of his father allowed him to pursue his love for natural history.

Catesby spent some time studying in London before voyaging to America in 1710 to stay with his sister in Williamsburg, Virginia. During this time he collected botanical specimens and seeds and sent them back to Thomas Fairchild, a nurseryman in Hoxton. This time spent in America advanced Catesby’s knowledge of plants and animals, gained him more experience of collecting and improved his drawing skills.

Above: Cancer terrestris Land crab plate 32 from 'Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahamas', Vol 2 by Mark Catesby NHM Image number: 022694

Whilst away his profile amongst the science community had grown. Eminent scientists Sir Hans Sloane and Dr William Sherrard had identified Catesby’s potential as a naturalist, even purchasing specimens from him themselves.

In 1722 Sloane and the Royal Society financed a trip for Catesby to Carolina. Whilst based in Charlestown, he collected plants, birds and shells, sending many back to Sloane in London. At this point Catesby would have regarded himself predominantly as a botanist. However, Sloane’s demands for other specimens increased his knowledge and interest in ornithology.

Catesby travelled from Carolina to the eastern coast of North America, taking in Florida and later moving on to the West Indies, returning to England in 1726.

Upon his return he was encouraged to publish the illustrations made during his trip. This became a labour of love for Catesby. Despite having financial backing, he still had to oversee the entire production of his book Natural History of Carolina, Florida and Bahamas Islands. He even learnt how to etch copper plates, taking lessons from Joseph Goupy a French painter and engraver who resided in London. Not only did Catesby engrave the plates, he also hand coloured them until he could afford to employ help.

Left: Title page from The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama islands (1731-43) Vol. 1 by Mark Catesby. NHM Image number 014700

The Natural History of Carolina was eventually published in three parts; Volume 1 in 1731, Volume 2 in 1743 and finally a Supplement in 1746. The book covered birds, animals, fish, snakes, insects, plants, forest trees and shrubs. His book was the first to use folio-sized plates for natural history subjects. This allowed Catesby to draw many of his birds their actual size.

Throughout this tome are many wonderful and fascinating drawings. One of particular importance is that of the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius). This bird once lived in huge flocks and it was reported that in 1866 one flock in southern Ontario was one mile wide and three hundred miles long, taking fourteen hours to pass over. It is estimated to have held in excess of 3.5 billion birds. They remained in such enormous numbers until the early 20th century, when hunting and habitat destruction led to the Passenger Pigeon’s eventual extinction. They were hunted for food, for their feathers to make beds and it was also believed the pigeon had medicinal properties. Martha, reportedly the last surviving Passenger Pigeon, died at the Cincinnati zoo in September 1914.

Catesby’s book was well received and remained in demand for a long period, primarily because it was the only book on North American natural history at the time. Catesby died in 1749 leaving all his works to his wife, who sold them on for £400. They were purchased by King George III and are now in the Royal Library at Windsor.

Above: Ectopistes migratorius, passenger pigeon Plate 23, hand coloured etching from The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama islands (1731-43) Vol. 1 by Mark Catesby. NHM Image number 014723

by Sarah Sworder, Reader Services Information Assistant