Catalogue of the "Bailey" collection in the Boston Society of Natural History
Scope and Content
The volume relates to part of the Jacob Whitman Bailey bequest to the Boston Society of Natural History. The volume was produced in 1860, and is inscribed: Catalogue of the unmounted materials in the “Bailey” Collection in the Boston Society of Natural History, also of the Daguerreotypes, Photographs and Drawings.
Some of these materials were later gifted to the Farlow Herbarium.
Dates
- Creation: 1860
Creator
- Boston Society of Natural History (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
The volume is fragile and has been digitized. In-person access may be available by appointment, but requires handling by staff. Researchers must register and provide one form of valid photo identification. Please contact botref@oeb.harvard.edu for additional information.
Extent
0.1 linear feet (1 volume) ; 28 cmBiographical / Historical
Jacob Whitman Bailey was born in Ward, Massachusetts on April 29, 1811. He graduated from West Point Academy in 1832, where he studied with John Torrey, and became an assistant professor of chemistry in 1834. By 1938 he was appointed the professor in charge of a new department of Chemistry, Mineralogy, and Geology. He advanced the field of microscopy in the United States and made improvements to the microscope, such as adding an indicator. He corresponded with the prominent German microscopist Christian Ehrenberg. Much of his botanical studies were devoted to infusoria.
During a period of failing health Bailey began organizing his extensive slide collection to allow it to be used by future researchers. The collection, along with Bailey’s scientific books, notes, and correspondence, was bequeathed to the Boston Society of Natural History upon his death. In 1856 he was elected president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He died February 26, 1857, a few months before his time as president would have begun.
Coulter, Stanley. 1888. Jacob Whitman Bailey. Bot. Gaz. (Crawfordsville). 13(5):118-124.
Dolan, John R. 2022. Jacob Whitman Bailey (1811–1857): Ehrenberg’s ambassador to America. Eur. J. Protistol. 85.
Provenance
This volume originally belonged to the Boston Society of Natural History, but by 1938, Clarence A. Cheever had acquired the volume. Cheever gifted the volume to the Farlow Herbarium in 1941 or 1943.
Subject
- Bailey, Jacob Whitman, 1811-1857 (Person)
Creator
- Boston Society of Natural History (Organization)
- Title
- Catalogue of the "Bailey" collection in the Boston Society of Natural History, 1860: A Guide.
- Status
- completed
- Author
- Botany Libraries, Farlow Reference Library of Cryptogamic Botany, Harvard University.
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- far00062
Repository Details
Part of the Botany Libraries, Farlow Reference Library of Cryptogamic Botany, Harvard University Repository
The Harvard University Herbaria houses five research libraries that are managed collectively as the Botany Libraries. The Farlow Reference Library of Cryptogamic Botany specializes in organisms that reproduce by spores, without flowers or seeds. The Archives of the Farlow Herbarium of Cryptogamic Botany houses unique resources including personal papers, institutional records, field notes and plant lists, expedition records, photographs, original artwork, and objects from faculty, curators, staff, and affiliates of the Farlow Herbarium.
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