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The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913) was one of the world's most important scientists. His seminal contributions to biology rival those of his friend and colleague Charles Darwin, though he is far less well known. Together Wallace and Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection in 1858, and their prolific subsequent work laid the foundations of modern evolutionary biology, and much more besides.
Wallace made enduring scholarly contributions to subjects as diverse as glaciology, land reform, anthropology, ethnography, epidemiology, and astrobiology. His pioneering work on evolutionary biogeography (the science that seeks to explain the geographical distribution of organisms) led to him becoming recognised as that subject’s ‘father’. Beyond this Wallace is regarded as the pre-eminent collector and field biologist of tropical regions of the 19th century, and his book The Malay Archipelago (which was Joseph Conrad’s favourite bedside reading) is one of the most celebrated travel writings of that century and has never been out of print. Wallace was a man with an extraordinary breadth of interests who was actively engaged with many of the big questions and important issues of his day. He was anti-slavery, anti-eugenics, anti-vivisection, anti-militarism, anti-Imperialism, a conservationist and an advocate of woman's rights. He strongly believed in the rights of the ordinary person, was a socialist, an anti-vaccinationist (for rational reasons), and a believer in naturalistic, evolutionary spiritualism. He did not come from a privileged background and was largely self-taught. For a brief biography see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/mini-biography
The Wallace Correspondence Project (WCP) was founded by George Beccaloni in 2010. Its aims are to locate, digitise, catalogue, transcribe, interpret and publish Wallace's surviving correspondence and other manuscripts. About 5,700 letters to and from Wallace are currently known to survive, and they are held by c. 240 institutions and individuals worldwide. Wallace's letters are a biographical treasure trove, which provides a far better picture of the 'real' Wallace than his heavily edited and censored published writings (e.g. his autobiography My Life (1905) and his letters in Marchant's Letters and Reminiscences (1916)). For example, Wallace never even mentions his wife's name (Annie) in any of his published writings, including his autobiography. The letters are also key to gaining a deeper understanding of his scientific and other work: how and why his ideas arose, and how they evolved over time.
The WCP is unlocking this valuable resource by gathering all the letters together for the first time, and transcribing them so that they can be more easily read and information within them discovered using electronic searches for words and phrases. The vast amount of unpublished information which is coming to light will surely form the basis for numerous articles, scholarly papers, PhD theses and perhaps the first definitive biography.
Epsilon is being used by the WCP's as its online archive of Wallace's correspondence. It replaces our previous archive, Wallace Letters Online, which was last updated in 2015. The process of editing the transcripts and associated metadata is a work in progress which will take many years to complete. Our project’s policy is, however, to make the information we have available to users at the earliest possible opportunity, even if it is incomplete and/or imperfect. For a guide to our data, including the protocols we use for metadata and transcriptions, please see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Responding to ARW for Royal Institution of South Wales, notes that “we have not a single member who knows anything about insects.” Will add ARW’s notes about local insects and glad his “valuable collection will remain at Neath.”
Asks about closure of Hertford library and sale of its books; describes his rail journey to Kington area, ecstatic about outdoor pleasures of enjoying nature while land surveying; Chartists are gaining strength, ominous for nation.
The Penny Post, including a poem on the subject; John's membership of the Literary Society; Chartist trials at Monmouth; description of lodgings and Mr and Mrs Wright.
Hertford Literary Society; Penny Post; countryside around Kington; Chartist trials; Crutwell and other acquaintances in Hertford.
A long, evocative, descriptive poem about Wales, contrasting wild and beautiful countryside with the ugly hell of coal mines and Welsh miners’ brutal existence there.
Exchanging monthly lists of insect acquisitions; plans to keep journal recording each natural capture with location, time, and notes; periodical appearance of insects; meteorology; lists Coleoptera taken in March 1846; opinion of the writings of Lyell, Darwin and Humboldt; Kirby and Spencer's entomology; Spry's figures; lack of natural historians and books in Neath.
Coleoptera specimens wanted from Bates's list, specimens he has available for exchange; sending tracing of a map showing Crymlin [Crymlyn] Burrows, geology and plants there; describes Neath and Swansea valleys including a small ink sketch; plans to collect in Swansea area; Dilwyn's catalogue of Swansea Coleoptera; discusses entomological pins and microscopes.
Lists 90 insect specimens sent in box of duplicates, including some to be identified and a series of Aphodius from the Brecknockshire Beacons; describes insects and plants collected there; plans for an insect cabinet and thorough study of a few (Coleoptera) families. “Best capture” was the “most beautiful” Trichius fasciatus, the Bee Beetle.
Have been surprisingly unsuccessful at collecting many insects, despite being constantly outdoors in the Welsh countryside this summer doing surveying work. Paucity of insects to collect. List of duplicate specimens ARW could have if he likes; located and bought copy of Shuckard's "Coleoptera," an illustrated treatise on beetles.
Exchanges and trades insect specimens with other collectors; very slight difference between Donacia impressa and D. linearis; planning design of a new insect cabinet; Mr Kirby's cabinet; Ray Society publications; butterfly Colias hyale.
Acknowledges arrival of beetles from Bates; design and costs of crafted insect cabinets and storage boxes. “Have you read [Chambers’] 'Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation' or is it out of your line?”
Insect cabinets and boxes; opines that "Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation" is “ingenius [sic] theory” supported by “striking facts” but “remains to be proved” by more facts about “progressive development of species”; Lawrence's “Lectures on Man” interesting on formation of human races; Pritchard's physical history of man; distinction between species and varieties in man; Humboldt's "Cosmos" supports similar theories.
Lack of response from Bates to insects and letter sent two months earlier; current scarcity of insects near Neath; arrival of Lepidoptera from friend in Georgia, USA, including sketch of Bombyx [a moth]; death of collected Lepidoptera larvae.
Visits London and Paris; describes Parisian architecture, museums, galleries and boulevards; the layout and operation of the Jardin des Plantes including sketches of mineral cabinets and cases in its museum; studied insects at the British Museum to identify his collection of American Coleoptera; desires to study one family thoroughly with regard to the theory of the origin of species; Ray Society; Oken's Elements of Physiophilosophy and variety, distribution and arrangement of species.
Tells mother preparing for voyage to Rio Negro. We are first English to climb Monte Alegre. Explored remote cave, copied “curious writings on the rocks” inside. Indians dug up “water tortoise eggs” on river bank, which, with milk and farinha “made a very excellent meal.” Fired on “several immense alligators” in river. Have eaten alligator tail, parrot, and turtle. Met English botanist Richard Spruce here. Includes “enigma” riddle and a poem about “naked little children/with skins of every dye/Some black, some brown, some lighter/some white as you or I...a dozen such in family...Tis common in Brazil.
No summary available.
ARW sending dried palm plants; describes Paxiuba palm roots; trees with buttresses to trunks; next week will explore River Tocantins. Describes “milk tree” (“Masseranduba”) whose juice is good substitute for cream, timber strong, fruit delicious, milk makes strong glue. Climate delightful. Is spending most time collecting insects.
ARW will leave London for Liverpool, then will set sail for Para, northern Brazil. Seeks official letter from Hooker’s Kew museum authorizing him and Bates to collect specimens for them.
Thanks Hooker for letter of recommendation, which has helped them obtain passports. Will try to collect “interesting specimens for the Kew museum.”
On receiving ARW’s letters, has decided to join him at Para, Brazil; departing from Liverpool in a few weeks. Glad Fanny’s things have reached her in Georgia. “We are doomed to be a scattered family...let us meet it bravely [and] hope that all its members may meet yet again.”