Mary A. Robinson seaweed album

It is unknown where Mary Robinson collected her seaweeds but it was likely in the waters near Cottage City (currently Oak Bluffs) on the northeastern coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Robinson lived in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is not coastal, so the collecting was not done there. She later lived in Providence, Rhode Island, which is on the coast, so she may have collected there.

Mary Robinson was principally an artist so others may have identified the seaweeds for her. It is known for example, that phycologists W. R. Dudley and R. A. Esten collected on Martha’s Vineyard in 1879 and 1895, respectively. In August of 1892 and in January 1895 phycologist R. E. Schuh collected right at Cottage City and may also have done so at other times. Some of these visiting collectors may have even stayed in the boarding house run by Robinson. In addition, there were well-informed local resident algae collectors such as Marcus W. Jernegan, a professor of history at the University of Chicago; Laura Jernegan, Marcus's older sister who married Herbert W. Spear; Miss Sarah G. Colt, daughter of whaling captain Henry Colt; and Julia A. (Jernegan) King. These four people lived much of their lives in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard, and experts writing in the professional literature of the day accepted their plant identifications. Any of these people could have assisted Mary Robinson with the identification of the algae that were integral to her art. In any case, the notations on the seaweed specimens make it clear that whoever made the identifications had considerable knowledge of marine algae names.

In 1881, Sea Mosses: A Collector's Guide and an Introduction to the Study of Marine Algae by A. B. Hervey outlined how to properly press and mount various types of algae. The tools needed are a pair of pliers, scissors, a stick with a needle in the end, at least two wash bowls, some kind of blotting paper, cotton cloth, and cards for mounting the specimens. Pliers and scissors are used to handle the specimens and cut away any extraneous branches, and the needle is used to move the algae around with relative ease to show the finer details. After specimens are collected, they are placed in a bowl of salt water and the pliers are used to handle the specimen and free it from excessive sand and shells. Once cleaned, the specimen is then resubmerged in salt water and the mounting paper is brought up from under the specimen, which then rests on the paper. The drying and pressing process consists of layering the mounting papers with various types of blotting cloth and additional paper topped with weights; Hervey suggests 50 pounds of rocks found by the seashore. Most seaweed will adhere to the mounting board with the natural adhesive present in the algae. Different types of gummed paper or adhesive may be used if the natural adhesive is not sufficient.

References

DiNoto, Andrea and David Winter. 1999. The Pressed Plant: The Art of Botanical Specimens, Nature Prints, and Sun Pictures. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

Green, Cedric. [2002]. Etching without acid [online]. United Kingdom: Ecotech Design, Green Prints. (https://www.greenart.info/galvetch/advan.htm). Accessed 20 September 2019.

Hervey, A. B. 1882. Sea Mosses: A Collector's Guide and an Introduction to the Study of Marine Algae. Boston: S. E. Cassino.

Nason M. A., Rev. Elias. 1890. A Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts with Numerous Illustrations. Revised and enlarged by George J. Varney. Boston: B. B. Russell.