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Botanical Time Capsules the W Illiam Henry Harvey Exsiccatae Volumes

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Botanical Time Capsules the W Illiam Henry Harvey Exsiccatae Volumes Botanical Time Capsules The W illiam Henry Harvey exsiccatae volumes Nichola Parshall and Dr Alan Millar ABSTRACT specimens in the other two were stuck to For ten very short months during the years acidic card that were then bound into two of 1854 to 1855, an Irish marine botanist albums. Although seaweeds are hardy Dr W illiam Harvey visited the shores of organisms, the acidic board of the 1800s Australia. From Rottnest Island in had long started its systematic destruction W estern Australia to Newcastle in NSW , of the plants. In an effort to save these Harvey collected some 20,000 seaweed scientifically priceless specimens from specimens, which he painstakingly complete destruction, the National identified to species then pressed onto Herbarium of NSW and the State Library paper. On returning to Ireland, he then set of NSW have collaborated in a project to about selling these biological treasures to re-house the 1200 individual specimens. Museums, Herbaria and wealthy This paper discusses the collaborative naturalists around the world for the then project between two major institutions, and princely sum of 2 pounds 5 shillings for the work involved in the conservation of 100 species. This would have amply paid these items to allow the preservation of for his round-the-world expedition. One the historical content, whilst providing hundred packages or exsiccatae were access of this material for scientific thought to have been disseminated each research. containing anything up to 150-220 species. Four such exsiccatae found their INTRODUCTION way to the vaults of the State Library on NSW . Two of the exsiccatae were of My present intention is to make it a unmounted specimens wrapped in their Coasting tour, & devote special attention to original brown paper parcels, while Algae- making such a collection as never Botanical Time Capsules – The William Henry Harvey exsiccatae volumes 99 before seen in Europe. I fear you will think New South Wales. Landing in King this low, & mean, & slushy plan- & will be Georges Sound, Western Australia on 7 sending me to climb mountains & gather January 1854, he travelled overland to nobler plants. But I say, other collectors Fremantle, Rottnest Island, and Cape there are by score who look after such Riche; then by steamship to Port Fairy, things – while no one minds poor Algae save a few scrap–picking folk & Port Phillip Heads, Geelong, and Western consequently we have little or no Port in Victoria; then to George Town and knowledge of the veg. of the tropical seas. Port Arthur in Tasmania; and finally to Port (Extract from Harvey’s letter to Sir William Jackson, Newcastle and Kiama in New Hooker 15 Feb 1853, Ducker p.38) South Wales. He left Sydney, on 15 June 1855 and visited New Zealand, the William Henry Harvey (1811-1866) was a Friendly Islands and Fiji, before returning Professor of Botany from Trinity College to and then departing from Sydney in Dublin, Ireland. A man of great warmth, December 1855 for Valporiso, Chile. intelligence and energy, Harvey would travel to the South Seas in the mid 19th Whilst in Australia Harvey collected 20,000 century to pursue his passion for specimens of marine plants that consisted phycology, that is the collection and study of 600 species of which approximately 200 of seaweed. Harvey’s journey is all the (or 30% of the entire collection) were new more remarkable not just for the enormous genera and species to science. On his body of work and specimens collected return to Ireland, Harvey made good his (more than 20,000) but that it was carried promise of exsiccatae and started to sell out under the shadow of tuberculosis, his sets to botanists, philanthropists, which would eventually kill him. Harvey’s naturalists, the clergy, and herbaria and journey became in part a pursuit of museums around the world. Four of these warmer, drier climes to improve his health, scientifically valuable exsiccatae are to be but primarily to fulfil his dream of surveying found in the collections of the State Library the marine plants of Australia, a task that of New South Wales (SLNSW). he would poignantly refer to as his ‘memorial’. As explained in the original prospectus, Harvey would personally press or oversee In a Subscription Prospectus of 1853, the preservation of these delicate and Harvey advertised that he was about to perishable algae. From what he records undertake a voyage to Australia to collect we can estimate he pressed and sorted a marine algae and that he was intending to minium of 100 species a day. He also sell ‘sets’ or ‘exsiccatae’ of the excess laments in his correspondence that specimens not required for filing in the herbarium of Trinity College Dublin. He sea plants take so much time in washing, calculated that he would make ‘at the most laying out, and changing, that my whole to 50’ sets of exsiccatae that would time is literally occupied, except at meals; contain anywhere between 200-600 and one day’s walk sometimes takes me species/specimens. These sets he would three days to put on paper. This is because I have to dry such a number of sell at the rate of 2 pounds 5 shillings specimens of each kind for my seventy (approximately AUD$600 current rates) for subscribers’ (Harvey to Sir William J. every 100 species ‘delivered free of Hooker, Freemantle 19 May 1854, Ducker, charge’ to Dublin, London or Glasgow. 118) Each specimen would be numbered and lettered corresponding to a master list, For the purposes of collecting algae, giving the name or binomial of the genus Harvey had sent out to Australia in 1853 at and species, and to its collection locality. least one large bale of paper, ‘ it appears that I must take out paper for drying, as During the years 1854 to 1855, over an well as for laying out specimens upon… ’ eighteen-month period, Harvey visited (Harvey to Mrs Gray, Kew 18 July 1853, Australia, where he travelled widely from Ducker, 57) However, during his travels he Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and would occasionally find himself short of 100 Botanical Time Capsules – The William Henry Harvey exsiccatae volumes supplies, and therefore was forced ‘use These are known as ‘isotypes’, that is they any paper I can procure, and by begging are the ‘same’ or exact duplicates of the and buying get along. Mr Roe gave me holotype. some capital brown, and I have got cartridge from the Convict Establishment’ When Harvey returned to Ireland, he had (Harvey to Sir William J. Hooker, what he referred to as his ‘travelling set’ of Freemantle 19 May 1854, Ducker, p118) pressed marine plants. This was a book with pages onto which he had pressed the Due to the sheer weight and volume of his ‘type’ and all other specimens of his new collection, as well as ever-present worries and known species that he discovered. about his health, Harvey sent back boxes The specimens in the exsiccatae of his specimens to Trinity College therefore, that directly correspond to the throughout his time in Australia. He was same locality and collection details as the fastidious, in all things relating to his types, are all isotypes. precious algae, and packed them extremely carefully. Once collected and THE HARVEY COLLECTION AT THE STATE dried, the specimens were packed into a LIBRARY zinc lined box and soldered shut as he The State Library of NSW traces its origins states that ‘I do not like its being left too back to 1826 with the opening of the long open, as it will be more likely to breed Australian Subscription Library. With over dust and insects…’ (Harvey to W.A 4.7 million items, its collections are vast, Sanford, Colonial Secretary of Western not only books, newspapers, maps, Australia Kojunup 31 July 1854, Ducker p. manuscripts, photographs, but also major 127) collections of paintings, sketchbooks, watercolours and plans by important Harvey referred to his collections as Australian artists, such as John Glover, bundles or packets as they were not books Conrad Martens and Eugene Von as such with text, but were actual pressed Guerard. The Library has nine first fleet samples of plants. At a later time, once journals, as well as manuscripts from the disseminated to subscribers, these great explorers, Abel Tasmen, James packets could be made up into bound Cook, Matthew Flinders and William Bligh. volumes, the volumes often reflecting a Given that its collections are so vast and particular region or botanical group of varied, it is not entirely unexpected to find specimens. the works and specimens of the great phycologist William Henry Harvey in them. As an internationally recognised phycologist Harvey knew he was Although botanists knew there were two discovering new genera and species to Harvey exsiccatae in the Mitchell Library, science as he was collecting. In botanical State Library of NSW listed in the Printed science (now known as the International Book Catalogue, Dr Alan Millar was the Code of Botanical Nomenclature), when a first to critically examine them in 1988. In new species is discovered and described, 2003 Dr Millar again visited the Library a single specimen must be designated by concerned for the items’ well-being, and which the species will forever be referred willing to offer expert advice on how to to and known by. Such a specimen is preserve and protect the scientifically known as the type or holotype specimen. priceless specimens. The specimens were It is the single most important specimen of brought to the attention of the Mitchell any given species and is only that by Librarian and Assistant State Librarian, which comparisons can be made to assure Collection Management Services, a correct identification of future collections Elizabeth Ellis as well as the Manager of of that particular species.
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