| Description: |
Eight sepia photographic prints enclosed between two pieces of grey card, one labelled in pencil in A. R. Wallace's? hand "Photos | N. American Museum specimens", two of which are reproduced in 'American Museums', in A. R. Wallace, "Studies Scientific and Social", (London 1900) vol. 2, Ch. 2, ; showing cased specimens of animals, birds and sponges displayed at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts USA c.1886/87, comprising: 1. Sepia photographic print approximately 12cm square, showing a museum interior containing two glass display cases of stuffed animal specimens including deer, a beaver, hares and a bear. The cases partly obscures the words "European Fauna" on the wall behind them. The print is annotated on the back in pencil in A. R. Wallace's? and possibly another hand " 16602 | Chap 2 | Vol 2 | 3.5/8 " wide | 32055" and upside down relative to this "4"; reproduced as fig. fig. 4, p. 33 "European Fauna" in 'American Museums', in A. R. Wallace, "Studies Scientific and Social", (London 1900) vol. 2, Ch. 2. 2. Sepia photographic print 16 cm x 15 cm with two torn pieces of sticking-paper on the upper back corners; showing a museum interior with part of a lower floor and surrounding narrow upper gallery containing stuffed specimens of animals including kangaroos, deer, an armadillo and alpacas in glass cases labelled "Class of Mammals", upper gallery containing a case of Australian mammals, floor of upper gallery partly obscuring the words "South American Fauna" on the wall of the lower gallery; reproduced as fig. 3, p. 29 "South American Fauna" in 'American Museums', in A. R. Wallace, "Studies Scientific and Social", (London 1900) vol. 2, Ch. 2. 3. Sepia photographic print 23.5 cm x 19 cm showing a large series of small stuffed birds (hummingbirds) in a glass Museum case, placed with outstretched wings in 19 horizontal rows of about 12 specimens per row. Annotated on the back in pencil an unknown hand "Museum of Comparative zoology Harvard University | South American Room | Trochilidae". 4. Sepia photographic print 23.5 cm x 19 cm showing stuffed specimens of seals including a California sea lion in a glass museum case, with part of a case of sea-shells visible in the lower left corner. Annotated on the back in pencil in an unknown hand "Museum of Comparative zoology Harvard University | Pacific Room". 5. Sepia photographic print 23.5 cm x 19 cm showing a glass museum case labelled "African" containing stuffed specimens of African mammals including a lion, a leopard, a hyena and small cats. Annotated on the back in pencil in an unknown hand "Museum of Comparative zoology Harvard University | African Room". 6. Sepia photographic print 23.5 cm x 19 cm showing a museum interior and five glass and wood display cases containing specimens including shells and sponges, some in spirit bottles. The case closest to the viewer is labelled on the glass "Atlantic Fauna" and the words "Alcyonoid Polyps Sponges" are also visible. The print is annotated on the back in an unknown hand "Museum of Comparative zoology Harvard University | Atlantic Room". 7. Sepia photographic print 23.5 cm x 19 cm showing a glass museum case containing stuffed specimens of birds including a turkey and two other large birds on the floor of the case and four horizontal shelves containing birds (including chicks) in decreasing order of size from top to bottom. Part of an adjoining case of wading birds is visible on the right. The print is annotated in pencil in an unknown hand "Museum of Comparative zoology Harvard University | North American Room". 8. Sepia photographic print 23.5 cm x 19 cm showing stuffed specimens of monkeys and small cats in natural poses in a glass museum case, with the back legs of a tiger and leopard? visible on the left. Annotated on the back in pencil in an unknown hand "Museum of Comparative zoology Harvard University | Indo-Asiatic Room". Place: Cambridge Massachusetts USA Notes: Dated on the basis that A. R. Wallace visited Harvard University Museum in the USA in November 1886; "American Museums" was first published in "Fortnightly Review", Sep and Oct 1887. Several letters from A. R. Wallace to his family from America mention the Museums (see particularly WP1/5/12, 19 Dec 1886 and Raby 2002, ch. 12 n. 21). |
