Butterfly drawings by John Abbot in the Houghton Library, Harvard University, that are wrongly attributed to an "Inferior Copyist"

2007·2 MB·

228 General Notes Journalofthe Lepidopterists' Society
JournaloftheLepidopterists'Society
61(4),2007,228-232
BUTTERFLY DRAWINGS BYJOHN ABBOT IN THE HOUGHTON LIBRARY,
HARVARD UNIVERSITY, THATAREWRONGLYATTRIBUTED TO AN "INFERIOR COPYIST"
Additionalkeywords: Coleoptera, EdwardDoubleday,ThaddeusW. Harris, Lepidoptera.
On 4 June 1839, the English lepidopterist Edward by the BSNH, it was described as containing "all the
Doubleday(1810-1849) relatedaninterestingdiscovery originals of the drawings in Abbot and Smith's rarer
tohis goodfriend,American entomologistThaddeusW. Lepidopterous Insects ofGeorgia,' beside manyodiers
Harris (1795-1856). Doubleday wrote, "A few days yet unpublished" (Anonymous 1860, Higginson 1869).
since I found at a Booksellers 84 drawings by Abbot Various sets ofAbbot'sdrawings havebeen misidentified
containing 150 figures ofGeorgian Coleoptera & about as the originals for Smith & Abbot (1797), which are
350 of Lepidoptera. They are bound in a small folio currentlydepositedintheJohnWork Garrett Libraryof
volume, & did belong to Swainson. As many of the theJohns Hopkins University(Calhoun2006). In 1946,
things figured are newto me I thought that they might allofAbbot's illustrationsindiepossessionofdie BSNH
notbe known toyou either, & so gave £7..7..0 forthem were purchased for $800 by Harvard University
and brought them away determining to send them as a (accession record, Houghton Librarv, Harvard
trifling present to you in my next parcel. IWhope they University). ThWese drawings, including die volume
may contain something new to you" (T. Harris presentedtoT Harris in 1839, arenowpreservedin
correspondence, Ernst Mayr Library, MCZ, Harvard the Houghton Library.
University). Doubleday attributed these drawings to Thirty years after the volume was acquired by the
the English-born naturalistJohnAbbot(1751-ca.l840), BSNH, Scudder(1888b) denouncedits associationwith
who had been living in Georgia since 1776. On 15 Abbot. Kirby (1888) wondered why Scudder (1888a)
September 1839, Harris expressed his gratitude forthe had overlooked it in his biography of Abbot. In
"costly present of Abbot's drawings" (T. W. Harris response, Scudder retorted, "The small volume of
correspondence, Mayr Library). paintings referredtobyMr. Kirbyisinthelibraryofthe
Scudder (1869) transcribed Doubledays letter, but Boston Society of Natural History, and was not
altered some ofthe details. He misquoted the letter to mentioned by me because the less said about it the
say that the drawings "did not belong to Swainson," better. Itwas picked up at a book shop, bears the date
when the opposite was indicated. The English 1830, and though Doubledaypaid seven guineas for it,
naturalistWilliam Swainson (1789-1855) receivedmany it is certainly no—t the work of Abbot, but of a very
drawings from John Abbot between 1818 and 1835 inferior copyist some of the paintings being the
(Calhoun 2007). Swainson may have sold this volume merest daubs. It is scarcely the least value" (Scudder
prior to his relocation to New Zealand in 1840. He 1888b). Following Scudder, Faxon (1896) ignored this
offeredvarious drawings andspecimens forsale in 1839 volume when discussing Abbot's insect drawings at die
(Parkinson 1984, Natusch & Swainson 1987). BSNH. Dow (1914) reiterated the opinion ofScudder,
Doubledav probably purchased the volume not long consideringthemtobetheworkof"apupilorimitator."
after the bookseller had obtained it, possibly from Lacking additional information, the Houghton Library
Swainson himself. continues to catalog the volume as the work of an
W
Afterthe deathofT Harrisin 1856, hislibrarywas inferior copyist. However, this notion was proposed
purchased fordie Boston SocietyofNatural Historyby when details ofAbbot's life and artistic methods were
John P. dishing (1786-1862) (Anonymous 1860). poorly understood. A comparison ofthis volume with
Cushing, a philanthropist from Watertown, other drawings and manuscripts indicates diat it is
Massachusetts, also contributed to the purchase of unquestionablythe workofAbbot.
Harris' insect collection for the BSNH. Higginson Analysis. I examined these illustrations at the
(1906) recalled that Cushing was "the only man in Houghton Libraryin November2005. Theyare bound
Boston, or its vicinity, who was suspected of being a in a small volume measuring approximately20 x 33 cm
millionaire." Cushing amassed a fortune in China and (8 x 13 in), with mottled brown boards and a brown
became a"wealthy,benevolentcitizen." He established leatherspine that lacks atitle. Inside thevolume is the
a magnificent conservatoryand actively participated in bookplate ofEdward Doubleday. Placed below this is
public enterprises and charities (Drake 1880). another bookplate that reads, "Boston Society of
When the volume ofinsect illustrations was received Natural History/From the Libraryof/ThaddeusWilliam
229 Journalofthe Lepidopterists' Society
INSECTS
i
GEORGIA
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Figs. 1—3. Pages fromJohnAbbot's 1830insectvolume (DepartmentofPrintingand GraphicArts. Houghton Library, Harvard
College Library, Harvard University; MS Tvp 426.5). 1, titlepage. 2, drawingno. 29ofCelastrina neglecta (W. H. Edwards), Pa-
piliopolyxenes Fabricius, andStrymon melinus (Hiibner). 3,drawingno. 32ofDanausplexippus (L.),Pijrguscommunis (Grote),
andAmblyscirtesviali.s(W. H. Edwards).
Harris, M.D./Presentedby P. Cushing, Esq." On the Abbot." Abbot replaced the word "rare" with
J.
first page, handwritten in ink, is a dedication from "remarkable" forhis 1827insectvolumeW.
Doubleday: "To Dr. T. W. Harris (Entomologorum Dow (1914) mentioned that T Harris' son,
Americanum Princeps), This volume of Drawings by Edward Doubleday Harris, recalled, "as a lad, circa
Abbot is presented as a small token of esteem and 1851-2, he watched his father devote an afternoon to
affectionate remembrance by his much obliged friend, engrossing a neat title page to a volume ofdrawings of
Edward Doubleday." ThereisnoevidencethatWilliam John Abbot." Dow supposed this was for the 1830
Swainson owned the volume, thus Doubleday must insectvolume, but he did not realize that the title page
have been informed ofthis fact by the bookseller. A for these drawings is written in Abbot's hand. Instead,
small blue card, bearing a typed quote from Scudder Harris undoubtedlvcreated his title page foragroup of
(1888b) that questions their provenance, was inserted unbound drawings that he borrowed in 1851 from
into the volume in 1935. The title page ofthe volume, Abbot's friend, Augustus G. Oemler (letter from
dated 1830, is written in John Abbot's distinctive hand Oemler, dated 14 March 1851, Mavr Library). These
(Fig. 1). drawings were purchased from Oemler for the BSXH
Unbeknownstto S. H. Scudder, Abbot alsoproduced in 1873 and transferred to Harvard Universityin 1946.
twoverysimilarvolumes ofinsectdrawingsthatarenow The fate of Harris' title page is unknown, as it is no
preserved in the Robert W. Woodruff Library (Emory longerincludedwith Oemler's collection ofdrawings in
University), and the Kenan Research Center (Atlanta the Houghton Library.
History Center). These volumes, completed in 1827 The 1830 volume contains 84 drawings. Thev are
and 1828, are roughlythe same size as the 1830volume rendered in watercolor and graphite on wove paper
and include the same type of title page (Baker 1959, without watermarks. Sixty drawings depict butterflies
Rogers 1978). Analogous title pages are also included andmoths,whiletheremaining24arebeetles. Manyof
with twovolumes ofAbbot's bird drawings, dated 1823 the illustrations bear penciled numbers and
and 1827 (Sewell 1972, Simpson 1984). Abbot identifications in the hand ofT. W. Harris. Additional
obviously produced multiple sets of drawings with notations are probably bv S. H. Scudder and include
similartitle pages between 1820 and 1830. These title references tootherAbbot drawings thatwere ownedby
pages are characterizedby large block letters that read the BSNH (e.g. the Oemler set). The figures are
"BIRDS ofGEORGIA"and"INSECTS ofGEORGIA" arranged into geometric patterns diat usuallv feature
(Fig. 1). Script subtitles read "Consisting ofthe most one or two large species with two or more smaller
rare kinds Drawn and coloured from Nature by John species (Figs. 2, 3). Theyarenotplacedintotaxonomic
Volume 61, Number 4 230
Table 1. ButterflyspeciesdepictedinJohnAbbot's 1830volumeofinsectdrawingsintheHoughton Library, HarvardUniversity.
Figures: D=dorsal. V=ventral, m=male, f=female. Figures are listed top tobottom, left to right. Nomenclature follows Oplcr&
Warren (2006).
Drawingno. Speciesdepicted Figures
25 a.Ancyloxyphanumitor(Fabrieius) Dm,Vf
Dm
b.Amblyscirtesaesculapias(Fabrieius)
c.Papilioglaucus L. (darkform) Df
d.Amblyscirtesalternata (Grote&Robinson) Df
e.Atrytonearogos(Boisduval&LeConte) Df
f.Anatrytonelogon (W.H.Edwards) Dm
26 a.PapilioglaucusL. Dm,Vm
b.Poanesyehl(Skinner) Dm,Df
27 a.PapiliopalamedesDrury Dm
b.Politesvibex(Geyer) Dm,Df
c.PapiliocresphontesCramer Dm
28 a.Papiliotroilus L. Dm,Df
b. Erynnisjuvenalis (Fabrieius)orE. horatius (Scudder&:Burgess) Dm,Df
29 a.Celastrinaneglecta(W. H. Edwards) Dm,Df
SeeFig.2 b.Papiliopolyxenes Fabrieius Dm,Df
c. Stnjmon melinus (Hiibner) Dm,Vm
30 a.Eurytidesmarcellus(Cramer)(summerform) Dm
Dm
b.Eurytidesmarcellus(Cramer) (springform)
c.Hemiargusceraunus (Fabrieius) Dm,Df
31 a.Battusphilenor(Linnaeus) Dm,Df,Vf
b.Hernieuptychiasosybius(Fabrieius) Df,Vm
c.Neonymphaareolatus(J. E. Smidi) Df,VI
32 a.Danausplexippus(L.) Dm,Df
SeeFig.3 b.Pyrguscommunis(Grote) Dm. Df
c.Amblyscirtesoialis (W. H. Edwards) Df
Dm
33 a. ?Oligoriamaculata (W. H. Edwards)
b.Panoquinaocola(W. H. Edwards) Df
c. ?Euphyesvestris(Boisduval) Df,Vm
d.Danausgilippus(Cramer) Dm
e. Erynnisbrizo(Boisduval&LeConte) Df
f. ?Erynniszarucco(Lucas) Df
34 a.Vanessaatalanta(L.) Df,Vf
b.Phyciodesthaws(Drury) Dm. Df
c.Erynnismartialis(Scudder) Df
d.Limenitisarchippus(Cramer) Dm,Vm
231 Journalofthe Lepidopterists' Society
Table 1. Continued
Drawingno. Species Depicted Figures
35 a.Agraulisvanillae(L.) Dm,Df,Vf
b.NostraIherminier(Latreille) Dm, Df
c.Leremaaccius(J.E. Smith) Dm,Df
36 a.Cercyonispegala(Fabricius) Dm,Df
b.Thorybespylades(Scudder) Dm,Vm
c.Megistocymela(Cramer) Df
d.Hesperiaattains(W.H.Edwards) Dm
a.Asterocampaclyton (Boisduval&LeConte) Dm
b.Asciamonuste(L.) Dm
Dm
c.Euptoietaclaudia (Cramer)
38 a.Asterocampaceltis (Boisduval&LeConte) Dm.Vm
b.Anatrytonelogon (W.H. Edwards) Df,Vf
c.Hijlcpliilaphyleus(Drury) Dm, Df
d.Atrytonearogos(Boisduval&LeConte) Df.Vf
e.Junoniacoenia Hiibner Df
39 a.Atlideshalesus(Cramer) Dm, Df
b.Fenisecatarquinius(Fabricius) Dm, Df
c.Calephelisvirginiensis(Guerin-Meneville) Df
40 a.Polygoniainterrogationis(Fabricius) Dm,Vm
b.Calycopiscecrops(Fabricius) Dm, Df
c.Cupidocomyntas(Godart) Dm
41 a.Autochtoncellus(Boisduval&LeConte) Dm
Dm
b.Achalaruslyciades(Geyer)
Dm
c.Thorybesbathyllus(J. E.Smith)
d.Thorybessp. Dm, Df(2)
e.Erynniszanwco(Lucas) Dm
f.Epargyreusclarus(Cramer) Dm
g. Urbanusproteus(L.) Dm
42 a.Xerenecesonia(Stoll) Dm,Df.\"m
b. Satyriumcalanus(Hiibner) Dm, Df,Vm
c.Enodiaportlandia (Fabricius) Df.Vf
43 a.Phoebissennae(L.) Dm, Df
b.Vanessavirginiensis(Drury) -Dm,Vf
44 a.Euremadaira (Godart) Dm,Df
b.Abaeisnicippe(Cramer) Dm
c.Abaeisnicippe(Cramer)(yellowform'fiava'Strecker) Df
d.Pyrisitialisa(Boisduval&LeConte) Dm,Df
Volume 61, Number 4 232
order, but simply grouped into visually pleasing Calhoun,J. V. 2006. Aglimpse intoa"floraet entomologia": The
compositions. Abbot employed diis same format for his NaturalHistoryoftheRarerLepidopterousInsectsofGeorgiaby
E. Smithand Abbot(1797). Lepid.Soc.60:1-37.
1827and1828insectvolumes. J.. 2007. JohnAJ.bbot'sbutterflyJd.rawings forWilliam Swainson,
Atleast64speciesofbutterflies areportrayed (Table 1), includinggeneralcommentsaboutAbbot'sartisticmethodsand
including some diat Abbot rarely figured, such as Dow,wrRi.ttPe.n1o9b1s4e.rvJaotihonnsA.bbJo.tL,eopfidG.eoSrogci.a.61:1N-2e0w. YorkEntomol. Soc.
Panoquina ocola (W. H. Edwards), Poanes ijehl (Skinner), 22:65-71. J.
Hemiargus ceraunus (Fabricius), and Calephelis Drake,S.A. 1880. HistoryofMiddlesexCounty,Massachusetts,con-
virginiensis (Guerin-Meneville). The single figure of tainingcarefullypreparedhistoriesofeverycityandtown inthe
county, bywell-knownwriters; a general historyofthe county,
Amblyscirtes vialis (W. H. Edwards) (Fig. 3) is his only from the earliest to the present time. Vol. 2. Estes 6c Lauriat,
known representation of this species. Characteristic of Boston.572pp.
Abbot's methods, duplicate figures are shared among die Faxon,W. 1896. JohnAbbot'sdrawingsofthebirdsofGeorgia.Auk
13:204-215.
1827, 1828, and 1830volumes. Asexpected,die 1828and Hiccinson,T.W. 1869. MemoirofThaddeusWilliam Harris. Occ.
1830volumesaremostalike. The 1828volumeportrays54 Pap. BostonSoc. Nat. His. l:xi—xlvii.
ofdiesamebutterflyspeciesasdie 1830volume,anddiree . 1906. Partofaman'slife. Houghton, Mifflin,&Co., Boston.
311pp.
compositions are exact duplicates. The 1827 volume Kirbv, W. F. 1888. John Abbot, the aurelian. Can . Entomol.
contains only43 ofdie same butterflyspecies as die 1830 20:230-232 (reprinted in Nineteenth Ann. Rpt. Entomol. Soc.
volume,andnocompositionsareduplicated. NatuOsnctha,riSo.&188G8.:5S0w-a5i1n)s.on. 1987.William SwainsonofFernGrove
Abbotwas79yearsoldin1830. Theinsectdrawingsdiat F.R.S, F.L.S,&c: anatomyofanineteenth-centurynaturalist. S.
he prepared during diis period are generally less precise Natusch,Wellington,NewZealand. 184pp.
thanhisearlierwatercolors. Someofdie figuresarefeebly Opler,P.A.&A. D.Warren. 2006. LepidopteraofNorthAmerica.
4. Scientific names list for butterfly species ofNorth America,
renderedanddifficulttoidentify,butdiisrelaxedstyleisnot north ofMexico. Contrib. C. P. Gillette Mus. ofArth. Biodiv.,
unusualamongAbbotsinsectillustrations (Calhoun2007). ColoradoStateUniv., Ft.Collins,Colorado.S3pp.
It has recentlybeen shown diat die qualityofhis artwork Parkainntsiopno,dePs.,Cp.p.14998-46.3.WiIlnliHaomarSew,aiMn.soEn.1&789L.-1G8.55B:elrleli(cesds.i)n.thIen
variedconsiderablyduringdie sixdecades thathe livedin search of New Zealand's scientific heritage. Royal Soc. New
America(e.g. Rogers-Price 1983, Simpson 1984, Calhoun ZealandBull.21.
2006, 2007). Abbot is not known to have produced any Rogers,V. 1978. JohnAbbot, SamuelWrightandavolumeofAb-
bot'swatercolors. AtlantaHist. Soc.22:29^4.
moreinsectdrawings ofdiis type after 1830. Heseemsto Rogers-Price,V. 1983J.. JohnAbbotinGeorgia:dievisionofanatu-
haveceasedworkingaboutfiveyearslateratdieageof84. ralistartist(1751-ca.1840).Madison-MorganCult.Ctr,Madison,
The 1830 insect watercolors were created by a Georgia. 149pp.
SCUDDER, S. H. (ed.). 1869. Entomological correspondence of
remarkable artist in die twilight of his career. They ThaddeusWilliam Harris, M.D. Boston Soc. Nat. His., Boston,
journeyed from Americato England, dien back again. In Massachusetts.375pp.,4pi.
die process diey passed through the hands of three . 1888a. JohnAbbot,theaurelian. Can. Entomol. 20:150-154
(reprinted in Nineteenth Ann. Rpt. Entomol. Soc. Ontario
legendary nineteendi century naturalists, bridging die 1888:48-50).
scientific divide between the Old and New Worlds. No 1888b. NotebyMr. Scudder, pg. 232. In Kirby,W. F. John
longercan diese illustrations be regarded as "scarcelythe SeweAlblb,otC,.t1h9e7a2u.reJlioahnn.ACbabnot.'sEnsteovmeonlt.h2b0ir:d23b0o-o2k32n.owownedbylo-
leastvalue." calcollector Savannah News-Press. Sunday Magazine. Oct. 21,
1973. Sect. F:l.
Acknowledgements SIMPSON,M.B.,Jr. 1984. Theartist-naturalistJohnAbbot(1751-ca.
(DuHraIorswveoalurllded-MUleniilkvieestrhos,ittfhyoa)r,naksestsihpseetcaliniacblerladyruiraHnisongpoefmtyhMevaisHyitoouagnahdntdtohneCpaLerirobmlriiasnr-ey SmithU1,8n4iJ0t.)e:Ed.cS&toantJte.rsiA.bbuNbtooirtot.nhsC1a7to9r7o.ltihneTaheoHirsnntai.ttuhRroealvlo.gh6yi1s:to3ofr4y7t-oh3fe9t0hs.eourtahreearslteeprin-
sion to reproduce Abbot's artwork. Thomas Fordarrangedfor dopterousinsectsofGeorgia, includingtiieirsystematiccharac-
photography. Robert Youngand Dana Fisher (Ernst Mavr Li- ters, the particulars of their several metamorphoses, and the
brary, MCZ, HarvardUniversity)kindlyprovidedaccesstoman- plantsonwhichtheyfeed,collectedfromtheobservationsofMr.
utshcermi.ptsDaivnidthFeiarulcdasre(WaonoddrgurfafnLtiebdrapreyr,mEimssoiroynUtnoivqeurosittey)fraonmd Jwaorhdns,AbCbaodte,llm&anDyavyieeasr,sarnedsiJ.deWnhtitien,thLaotndcoounn.tr2y1.42ppv.o,ls1.0J4.pEi.d-
MichaelRose(KenanResearchCenter,AtiantaHistoryCenter)
accommodatedmyvisitsandansweredmanyquestions. Finally, John V. Calhoun, 977 Wicks Dr., Palm Harbor, FL
aInofofneyrmmoyusgrraetviiteudweftoorJthaemiersvaKl.uAabdlaemcsom(mDealnttosn.College)andan 34684. Research Associate Florida State Collection of
Arthropods DPI, FDACS, Gainesville, Florida 32614,
Literature Cited USA.
AnonByomsotuosn.Soc1.86N0a.t.HJiasn.ua7r:y2140,-211816.0. Report ofthe Library. Proc. Receivedforpublication20May,revisedandaccepted10August
2007
Baker, W. B. 1959. JohnAbbot'sinsects ofGeorgia. Emory Univ.
Qtly. 15:146-152.