Voyages and Travels
Many of the works in the Tippmann Collection are European travel narratives dating from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries. These works focus on the natural history and sometimes specifically on the insects of a region or country. Explorers, often accompanied by naturalists and artists, traveled to Asia, South America, and Antarctica in search of adventure. The naturalists on these voyages described and collected the flora and fauna of a region, while the artists drew specimens for future publication.
Henry Walter Bates (1825-1892) was a British naturalist and entomologist, who amassed large general collections of Amazonian specimens during fourteen years of field work. Accompanied by Alfred Russel Wallace, he set out to become a professional collector of specimens in the Amazon in 1848. Bates discovered that closely related species often were separated geographically by rivers, but he did not realize this was evidence of geographical speciation. Bates studied color patterns in butterflies, which defined Batesian mimicry, a natural phenomena in which nonpoisonous species mimic the bright warning colors of poisonous ones.
Henry Walter Bates, 1825-1892. Contributions to an Insect Fauna of the Amazon Valley: Coleoptera--Longicornes. Part I - Lamiares. London: Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, 1861-1866. Originally published in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History, ser 3, v. 8-9, 12-17 (1861-1866).
Thomas Belt. The Naturalist in Nicaragua: A Narrative of a Residence at the Gold Mines of Chontales; Journeys in the Savannahs and Forests, with Observations on Animals and Plants in Reference to the Theory of Evolution of Living Forms. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1874, (London : Bradbury, Agnew, & Co., Printers, Whitefriars.) Belt dedicated this book to Henry Walter Bates "whose admirable work, The Naturalist on the River Amazons, has been my guide and model." This illustration, the frontispiece titled "Adventure with a jaguar," depicts the adventurer in action in the jungles of Nicaragua.
Lucas Brulle and Pierre Macquart. Histoire Naturelle des Îles Canaries or Animaux Articulés Recueillis aux Îles Canaries. Paris: Béthune, éditeur.
Hermann Julius (H. J.) Kolbe, 1855-?. Beiträge zur Zoogeographie Westafrikas, nebst einem Bericht über die während der Loango-Expedition von Herrn Dr. Falkenstein bei Chinchoxo gesammelten Coleoptera. Halle: [s.n.], 1887 (Dresden : E. Blochmann & Sohn). Plates are signed by H. Tieffenbach. The faux alligator cover is indicative of the interest in exotic animals in the Victorian era.
Charlemagne Théophile Lefebvre, 1811-1860. Voyage en Abyssinie: Exécuté pendant les Années 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, par une Commission Scientifique Composée de Théophile Lefebvre, A. Petit et Quartin-Dillon, Vignaud; Publié par Ordre du Roi, Sous les Auspices de le Vice-Amiral Baron de Mackau, Ministre de la Marine. Paris: Arthus Bertrand, Libraire de la Société de Géographie, 1845-1851.
Frederic Moore, F.Z.S. 1830-1907. Associate of the Linnean Society of London, member of the Entomological Society of London, corresponding member of the Entomological Society of Stettin and of the Entomological Society of the Netherlands. The Lepidoptera of Ceylon. Volume II. London: L. Reeve & Co., 1882-1883.
Published under the patronage of the government of Ceylon, in thirteen parts. Gilt-decorated binding.
Yngve Sjöstedt, 1866-?. I Västafrikas Urskogar: Natur- Och Djurlifsskildringar Från en Zoologisk Resa I Kamerun. Stockholm: Fröléen & Comp., 1904 (Stockholm: Tryckt hos P. Palmquists, Aktiebolag). Gilt decorated binding.
Sir Hans Sloane, 1660-1753. A Voyage to the Islands Madera, Barbados, Nieves, S. Christophers, and Jamaica, with the Natural History of the Herbs and Trees, Four-Footed Beasts, Fishes, Birds, Insects, Reptiles & c. of the Last of Those Islands. London: vol. 1, Benjamin] Motte for the author, 1707; vol. 2 for the author, 1725.
Two volumes. The volumes depict the earliest representations of the flora and fauna of Jamaica and the neighboring islands. Engravings by Michael van der Gucht and John Savage.
Dumont d'Urville, Jules-Sébastien-César, 1790-1842. Voyage de la Corvette l'Astrolabe: Exécuté par Ordre du Roi, Pendant les Années 1826-1827-1828-1829. Paris: J. Tastu, 1830-1835.
Dumont d'Urville, Jules-Sébastien-César, 1790-1842.Voyage au Pole Sud et dans l'Océanie sur les Corvettes L'Astrolabe et la Zélée. Atlas Pittoresque. First Volume. Paris: Gide et Cie, Éditeurs, 1846.
Jules Sébastien César Dumont D'Urville (1790-1842) commanded the ship L'Astrolabe's 1825 expedition in search of the remnants of the La Perouse. Scientific research was very important after the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars, and France wanted to know about the fate of the La Perouse's expedition. The ship's name was the same as Perouses's ship, which disappeared somewhere in the Pacific in 1788. D'Urville discovered the place where the former Astrolabe sank near the coast of Vanikoro, New Hebrides.
A second scientific voyage took place from 1826 to 1829, in which the Astrolabe traveled in terrifying storms, ran aground six times, and miraculously escaped destruction. The ship reached Vanikoro, where a monument was created to the memory of the lost sailors, and the crew returned with the remains of L'Astrolabe and the La Perouse. Eight years later, Dumont D'Urville undertook a third circumnavigation, still in the Astrolabe, but also with the ship, the Zelee.
Alfred Russel Wallace, 1823-1913. Der Malayische Archipel: Die Heimath des Orang-Utan und des Paradiesvogels. Reiseerlebnisse und Studien über Land und Leute. [The Malay Archipelago : the land of the orang-utan and the bird of paradise. German.] Braunschweig: Druck und Verlag von George Westermann, 1869. Edition: Autorisirte Deutsche Ausgabe von Adolf Bernhard Meyer.
Alfred Russell Wallace discovered the theory of natural selection with Charles Darwin, and helped to develop the theory of biogeography. Like many Victorian-era naturalists, Wallace was self taught. He collected specimens and traveled in the Amazon region and in southeast Asia. He worked with Henry Walter Bates on Amazonian field work. In the mid-1850s, he took an interest in the species problem and published several papers arguing that evolution made sense based on geographical distributions of species. He developed the theory of natural selection separate from Darwin and wrote to Darwin for help with publishing his ideas. Darwin had already developed his own ideas on natural selection, and the two worked on a joint presentation to the Linnean Society in 1858. Wallace gave most of the credit for the theory of natural selection to Darwin, and Darwin recognized Wallace's contributions by arranging for Wallace to receive a government pension and many scientific honors.
Typical of nineteenth century naturalists, Wallace was also interested in other subjects such as evolution, geography, anthropology, and social criticism. He was born January 8, 1823 at Usk, Gwent (formerly Monmouthshire). The family fell on hard times and Alfred Wallace was forced to withdraw from school. Through his work, he developed an appreciation of the outdoors and began his interest in natural history, particularly botany, geology, and astronomy. Despite his lack of education, Wallace's exceptional intellect helped him to become associated with the newly formed Mechanic's Institution in 1841. Shortly thereafter he moved to Neath, Wales, and attended lectures given at local scientific societies. Over time, Wallace gave lectures based on his own study of technical issues and natural history. He also began writing essays in the 1840s. A slowdown in the surveying industry forced Wallace to seek other opportunities. He applied for and received an open position at the Collegiate School in Leicester, where he taught drafting, surveying, English, and arithmetic. Wallace used the library to study works on natural history and systematics. While at Collegiate, he met another young amateur naturalist, Henry Walter Bates.
Bates, two years younger than Wallace, had made a name for himself as an accomplished entomologist. Bates's collections captured Wallace's attention. Wallace returned to surveying in February 1845, but he did not like running a business and preferred to continue his avocations related to natural history. His passion for natural history led to an appointment as curator of the Neath Philosophical and Literary Institute's museum. Wallace continued to correspond with his friend, Bates. He also became interested in a new book about a voyage to the Amazon by William H. Edwards. Wallace decided to become a professional naturalist and explore South America. He convinced Bates to join him and on April 25, 1848, the two young men headed for Pará, now called Belém, at the mouth of the Amazon River.
Wollaston Expedition (1912-1913). Ogilvie-Grant, William Robert, 1863-1924. Reports on the collections made by the British ornithologists' union expedition and the Wollaston expedition in Dutch New Guinea, 1910-13. London: F. Edwards, 1916.
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