Historical collections and ancient science networks. Abraham S.H. Breure

Transcription

1 Historical collections and ancient science networks Abraham S.H. Breure

2 Overview Ancient science networks in the 19th / early 20th century (Moricand, Brot, Drouët, Crosse, and Dautzenberg) Historical collections and the link to science networks Material of the Comisión Científica del Pacífico (CCP)

3 Ancient science networks Exchange of ideas and arguments (correspondence, face-to-face) Exchange of material (unilateral or bilateral) Exchange of formal knowledge (reprints)

4 Ancient science networks M.E. (Stéfano) Moricand J.A. (Jacques) Moricand amateur scientists in Geneva botanist [Sr.] and malacologists (collections in Geneva) Breure & Tardy, 2016 Revue suisse Zool. 123

5 Ancient science networks Auguste Brot amateur scientist in Geneva malacologist (collection in Geneva) Breure & Tardy, 2016 Revue suisse Zool. 123

6 Moricand sr./jr. Brot n = 40 n = 28*

7 Moricand sr./jr. Brot n = 40 n = 28* France is dominantly present very few outside Europe

8 Ancient science networks Henri Drouët amateur scientist in Troyes, and Dijon Crosse archive malacologist (collection partly in Dijon and Lyon) correspondence partly in Crosse archive, partly in Baudon archive (soon in BnF) Audibert, 2011 Folia conchyliologica 14

9 Material from Drouët s publication on molluscs from French Guiana and Martinique (1859) was sold to Crosse in 1883, and subsequently dispersed when his collection was auctioned after his death in 1899 Crosse archive / Breure & Backhuys, Basteria 80: in press

10 Ancient science networks Philippe Dautzenberg amateur scientist malacologist (collection presented to King Leopold of Belgium, now in RBINS) correspondence and reprint archive in RBINS Duchamps, 1999 Apex 14

11 Breure, Basteria 80: in press

12 n = 481 Breure, Basteria 80: in press

13 n = 481 Breure, Basteria 80: in press Europe and France still dominant

14 Ancient science networks Hippolyte Crosse amateur scientist malacologist (collection sold after his death and dispersed) co-editor and director of the Journal de Conchyliologie correspondence archive in private hands Deyrolle, 1899

15 n = 412

16 n = 412 During 19th/early 20th century France, Germany, Italy and U.K. were science centers in malacology

17 French correspondents #Letters n = Morelet Drouët

18 non-french correspondents 200 #Letters n = 225 Hidalgo

19 Networks collections Contacts were predominantly by mail (letters); faceto-face was exceptional Swapping of material was very common (duplicates) Formal knowledge was distributed via few channels Slow science via few gate keepers per country Eponyms are a proxy for good contacts; played a role in trust building?

20 Gate keeper Joaquin González Hidalgo amateur scientist malacologist (collection in MNCN) worked on the land snails collected by CCP RBINS archive

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22 n=56* France, Germany, Spain, UK and USA dominant

23 Comisión Científica del Pacífico López-Ocón, Bull. Inst. fr. études andine 32

24 Comisión Científica del Pacífico López-Ocón, Bull. Inst. fr. études andine 32

25 Comisión Científica del Pacifico Collected land, freshwater, and marine shells, besides many other animals and plants 230 lots in MNCN (land mollusks) Studied and described by Hidalgo (25), Crosse (4), Pfeiffer (2), and Philippi (2) Still more to be discovered?

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28 Hidalgo Crosse Corresponded between 1863 and letters in Crosse archives Hidalgo visited Paris twice; also Paz y Membiela Background of completion of Moluscos del Viaje al Pacífico (Hidalgo, 1872) Plates were made and printed in Paris

29 letter d.d. 8 March 1868 Crosse archive

30 Annex to letter d.d. 11 November 1869 (Crosse archive)

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33 letter 17 July 1872 (archive Crosse)

34 Summary Historical collections are valuable assets of present-day public museums Correct interpretations not only needs research on content (labels!) but also on context Ancient science networks may provide valuable contextual information Networks outside France may shed new light on presumed dominance More CCP material than thought, with a hidden novelty

35 Thanks to Rafael Araujo (MNCN), Rose Sablon and Thierry Backeljau (RBINS), Rob Moolenbeek (Naturalis), Wim Backhuys Research supported by SYNTHESYS (Brussels, Madrid) and Diederik van Schagen Fund (Netherlands)