[Dr John M. Crawford, Charles Dury, Professor Herbert S. Osborn, American entomologists.] Thirteen Autograph Cards Signed (ten from Dury, two from Crawford and one from Osborn) to the Coleoptera expert Charles G. Siewers of Newport, Kentucky.

Author: 
Charles Dury of Cincinnati; John Martin Crawford of the Chickering Institute, Ohio; Professor Herbert S. Osborn [Charles G. Siewers of Newport, Kentucky; American entomologists; natural history]
Publication details: 
All sent from Cincinnati, Ohio. Six of the thirteen dated between 1880 and 1882 (the year of Siewers's death). The others undated.
£500.00
SKU: 15296

The thirteen cards are all 13 x 7.5cm. All with 'POSTAL CARD' printed on front, and all with Cincinnati postmarks, nine also carrying Newport postmarks. All thirteen addressed to Siewers at Newport. For information on Charles Dury (1847-1901) see his obituary by Annette F. Braun in the Ohio Journal of Science, November 1931, pp.512-514. Braun stresses Dury's wide correspondence, and association with individuals including Alfred Russell Wallace, E. D. Cope, Spencer F. Baird, George Horn, John L. LeConte, Robert Ridgway, Elliott Coues, and his 'companion of many field trips' Professor J. S. Hine. Dury contributed the obituary of the recipient of these thirteen items Siewers's obituary, dated from Avondale, 4 October 1882, to the Canadian Entomologist, September 1882, p.176: 'Charles G. Siewers died at his residence, Newport, Ky., Sept. 6th, in the 68th year of his age. For many years he has been a devoted and enthusiastic student of entomology. He spent much time in rearing the larvae of Lepidoptera, making colored drawings of them through their stages of growth. He collected largely in Coleoptera and was a very accurate observer of habits. It is due to his skill as a collector that some of the rarest species have been recorded as occurring in this locality.' The thirteen cards are all 13 x 7.5cm, and all closely written carrying as much text as an ordinary letter. All with 'POSTAL CARD' printed on front, and all with Cincinnati postmarks, nine also carrying Newport postmarks. All thirteen addressed to Charles G. Siewers (c.1814-1882) at Newport, Kentucky. The collection in fair condition, aged and lightly-worn. The three writers were all men of note. Professor Herbert S. Osborn (1856-1954) would serve as chairman of the Department of Zoology and Entomology at The Ohio State University between 1898 and 1916. John Martin Crawford (1845-1916) of the Chickering Classical and Scientific Institute in Cincinnati, was an American physician and scholar who translated the Finnish epic Kalevala into English. For information on the entomologist Charles Dury (1847-1901) see his obituary by Annette F. Braun in the Ohio Journal of Science, November 1931, pp.512-514. Braun stresses Dury's wide correspondence, and association with individuals including Alfred Russell Wallace, E. D. Cope, Spencer F. Baird, George Horn, John L. LeConte, Robert Ridgway, Elliott Coues, and his 'companion of many field trips' Professor J. S. Hine. Dury contributed Siewers's obituary, dated from Avondale, 4 October 1882, to the Canadian Entomologist, September 1882, p.176: 'Charles G. Siewers died at his residence, Newport, Ky., Sept. 6th, in the 68th year of his age. For many years he has been a devoted and enthusiastic student of entomology. He spent much time in rearing the larvae of Lepidoptera, making colored drawings of them through their stages of growth. He collected largely in Coleoptera and was a very accurate observer of habits. It is due to his skill as a collector that some of the rarest species have been recorded as occurring in this locality.' The thirteen items are concerned with the four men's field of interest, and contain references to fellow entomologists J. B. Smith of Brooklyn, Professor F. H. Snow, H. W. Wenzel, Ottomar Reinecke, Dr G. M. Levette, John Bernard Smith, Dr. John Hamilton, Henry Edwards and James Chamberlain Crawford. Six of Dury's ten cards are signed 'C. D.', three are signed 'C. Dury', and one 'Chas. Dury'. One is addressed from Avondale, and one from '#144 ½ Wal St | Cin. O.' He gives news of his activities in a chatty and enthusiastic style, of which the following, dated 9 September 1881, is an example: 'My Dr. Sir | Your card recd. I can not get out for the present I am trying to keep a lot of fish with belly side down! And in such weather that is a job in tanks so small & hot. I wouldnt object to see rain even though I got wet! I got a small box from Wenzel and one from J. B. Smith of Brooklyn - both had something new to me in them - Wenzel sends some gratiosa which he says are "new & pure"! - I will "safe" [sic] you Promethea larvae If I get any, which is not likely unless it gets cool & wet as I cant leave these infernal fish - drop me a line | Yours in haste'. One card with crude drawing of 'the Democratic rooster'. On 14 January 1881 he jokes: 'Saw Huntington he has been down in Ga. collecting!! got 1 beetle!!!! [...] I told him to bring his shovel down & collect in Avondale, it would only cost him 10c for fare!' Crawford's two cards are each written over a printed message by him on behalf of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History. Both are written in a businesslike fashion, and one extremely closely, comprising 40 lines, regarding a 'blunder' over a box of beetles. Osborn writes concerning an exchange of 'specimens'.