WCP6160

Letter (WCP6160.7135)

[1]1

FROM E. B. POULTON, WYKEHAM HOUSE, OXFORD.

Nov[ember]. 22. 1916.

Dear Mr Wallace2,

D[octo]r Eltringham3 has now copied pout the notes which it seemed well to keep together (& add to those from the other books he is now doing) & the two books are ready to send to you or the B[ritish]. M[useum].4 I will do whichever you prefer. I am going up on Nov[ember]. 30th & will take them & give them by hand to D[]octo]r. Harmer5 [2] if you wish. I only suggested because they are rather fragile. They are the 2 books with, on the outside of one — "Insect Notes 3." one side, and "Birds Mammals" on the other side: on the outside of the other book:—

Register 1858

Insects

one side and

Register 1858

Birds6

on the other side. I feel sure these were the two you meant to give to the N[atural]. H[istory]. Museum. [3] I have a number of photographs of your father sent to me by Mr. Marchant7 when the question of the portrait was being considered8. Shall I return them to him or to you?

Hoping that you are well & with kind regards

I am, | Yours sincerely, | E. B. Poulton9 [signature]

P[ost]. S[criptum]. We have had a good deal of anxiety over our youngest daughter10 who has had an operation for appendicitis. I am glad to say she has recovered wonderfully & will be back in her home in a fortnight from it.

E. B. P.

1
The page is numbered WP16/[1]/102 in pencil at the top centre. The words "Ans[were]d 23/11/16 " are written in ink across the top LH corner.
2
Wallace, William Greenell (1871-1951) Electrical engineer, second son and third child of ARW.
3
Eltringham, Harry (1873-1941) English histologist and lepidopterist interested in mimicry. He was Curator of Insects at the Museum in the Hope Department of Entomology, Oxford, 1924-1937.
4
The British Museum, dedicated to human history, art and culture was established in Bloomsbury, London in 1753. The first branch institution, the British Museum (Natural History) opened in South Kensington in 1881. It is now commonly referred to as the Natural History Museum.
5
Harmer, Sidney Frederic (1862-1950) British marine zoologist. He was Keeper of Zoology at the Natural History Museum 1909-1921 and Director of the Museum 1919-1927.
6
All underlinings are in red ink.
7
Marchant, James (1857-1956) Free Church minister, social activist and philanthropist.
8
Soon after ARW’s death three close friends, the author, Ralph Meldola and James Marchant set up a Committee (later memorial Fund) to raise money to pay for three memorials: a medallion, a portrait and a statue. The portrait painting by J. W. Beaufort was presented to the Natural History Museum on the 100th anniversary of ARW’s birth in January 1923.
9
Poulton, Edward Bagnall (1856-1943) British evolutionary biologist, friend of ARW and lifelong advocate of natural selection. He did pioneering work on warning or protective colouration in animals and became Hope Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford in 1893.
10
The author was married to Emily, neé Palmer and they had five children. His youngest daughter, Janet Palmer Symonds was married with two children at the date of the letter

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP6160.7135)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by O'Dell, Sandra [2018-08-15]

Please cite as “WCP6160,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP6160