Conected | April 22, 2016

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ABOVE IMAGE: Plate 10: Everlasting flower and Castnia from Leningrader Aquarelle / Maria Sibylla Merian, 1974.

This post is from a blog called Conversant, formerly published by the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum.

A quick history lesson shows us how the collections of the Essex County Natural History Society (founded 1833) came to reside in the collections of the Peabody Essex Museum today. The ECNH focused on collecting both literature and specimens documenting the natural wonders of Essex County, Massachusetts. After a short life of 15 years, the ECNH merged with the Essex Historical Society to form the Essex Institute.

The portico of the Daland House which housed the Essex Institute. © 2007 Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Walter Silver

After many years of refining missions, collections, and institutional names, the Essex Institute merged with the Peabody Museum of Salem in 1992 to form the Peabody Essex Museum. Today both the museum and library have rich collections in natural history.

From “The life of North American insects...” by Prof. B. Jaeger, 1854.

Recently, for the opening of the Asia in Amsterdam exhibit, I was asked to find work from Maria Sibylla Merian, (1647-1717) to accompany a sketching activity in the atrium. In 1699 Merian either received a grant or sold many of her paintings (sources differ) to fund travel to the Dutch colony of Suriname to study and illustrate new species of insects. Malaria forced her to return to Amsterdam after only 2 years of research. In 1705 she published Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium (“The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname”).

From “The life of North American insects...” by Prof. B. Jaeger, 1854.

Although certain of her publications were popular with her contemporaries, she was largely ignored by the scientific community. Merian is now recognized as being one of the first and best botanical artists, and is among the first naturalists to observe and describe the metamorphosis of caterpillars. Her pioneering work produced the classification of many butterflies and moths.

Portrait of Maria Sibylla Merian from “The natural history of British moths, sphinxes, &c….” 1836.

Although the Phillips Library doesn’t have any of her original work, this project allowed me to delve into an aspect of our collection that I had not yet laid my hands on- insects! Usually the last thing an archive wants is bugs in their collections; but when it is works of art on paper, we are more than happy to host the little pests.

Right: Common Daffodil by Maria Sibylla Merian from “New Book of Flowers” facsimile edition, 1999. Left: Garden Pansy from “New Book of Flowers” facsimile edition, 1999

Our catalog is ripe with entries. There are old textbooks, Japanese watercolors, and even some fiction. The collection includes a 7 volume index of insects, Systema entomologiae, sistens insectorum classes, ordines, genera, species, adiectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus, observationibus, published in 1775, and a book entitled Jeweled bugs and butterflies about insects in art and as jewelry, published in 2000.

“Sōchū gachō = Insect studies” unknown publisher, circa 1920s.

We hold 66 titles authored by Alpheus Spring Packard Jr. and dating from 1863 to 1903. They include titles such as How to collect and observe insects and Entomology for beginners: for the use of young folks, fruit growers, farmers and gardners. Packard was first and foremost a teacher and a zoologist. As a child he was interested in all aspects of natural history but conchology held his interest the most. His focus gradually changed during and after college while corresponding with entomologists’ at various institutions and studying under Agassiz at the Lawerence Scientific School in Cambridge. Following his service in the Civil War as an assistant surgeon, Packard took on many scientific posts including one as a curator in 1867 and later as director from 1877-1878 of the Peabody Museum of Salem. It is said that he described over 50 new genera and approximately 580 species of animals, largely moths and butterflies.[1]

From “A text-book of entomology: including the anatomy, physiology, embryology and metamorphoses of insects : for use in agricultural and technical schools and colleges as well as by the working entomologist” by Alpheus Spring Packard, 1898

There are many other historical scientific works, artists drawings, and even some local entomologists’’ papers to explore. Enjoy some of my favorite images from these books below, and join PEM for their Morphing Caterpillars story trails on Sunday, April 24, 2016.