Create your own conference schedule! Click here for full instructions

Abstract Detail


Historical Section

Russell, Rusty [1].

Turn-of-the-Century Plant Collecting in Southern Alaska.

As the personal field books of late 19th and early 20th century botanists in the Department of Botany at the Smithsonian Institution were being catalogued by The Field Book Project, it was noticed that there was a disproportionate number that referenced field activities in Alaska during a very narrow window of 1899-1902. Indeed, many thousands of plant specimens were collected during this period and deposited in various herbaria, including the United States National Herbarium. What caused this spike in activity? In following the specimen trail, we can point to four separate forces at work including a major multidisciplinary voyage (Harriman Alaska Expedition), a well-known botanical artist (Frederick Walpole), an intrepid journeyman plant collector (Martin W. Gorman), and a reformed fisheries specialist (W.J. Fisher). All provide a different and very interesting story, each of which resulted in clear contributions to our understanding of, and appreciation for, the southern Alaska flora.

Broader Impacts:


Log in to add this item to your schedule

Related Links:
The Field Book Project
The Field Book Project Blog - W.J. Fisher in Alaska


1 - Smithsonian Institution, Department Of Botany, MRC-166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA

Keywords:
Alaska
Harriman
collections
herbarium
Walpole
Gorman
Fisher
language
artist.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 29
Location: Morrow/Hyatt
Date: Tuesday, July 10th, 2012
Time: 11:15 AM
Number: 29005
Abstract ID:514


Copyright © 2000-2012, Botanical Society of America. All rights reserved