A Community Partnership between Research in History Geography archive students and Beaty Biodiversity Museum Collections
Linda Jennings, Ashley van der Pauw Kraan, Dr. David Brownstein, Paula Duhatschek, and Ildiko Szabo at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum (BBM) was especially fortunate to have two of Dr. David Brownstein’s Research in History Geography Class archiving students haunt the halls of the BBM curatorial wing during the 2014 winter term. Recently, their projects were uploaded to UBC cIRcle.
Assistant Curators, Linda Jennings (UBC Herbarium), Ildiko Szabo (Cowan Tetrapod Collection) and Curatorial Assistant Christopher Stinson (Cowan Tetrapod Collection) participated in the community partnership for Geography 429: Research in Historical Geography. An end of term conference was held at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre, on 25 March 2014 where students presented their findings. Both BBM students did outstanding presentations and our BBM Assistant Curators heard exiting new facts which will be incorporated into the BBM’s collection programs and webpages.
Paula Duhatschek prepared an institutional profile of the Cowan Tetrapod Collection (CTC) and Ashley van der Pouw Kraan researched the biography of 5 early collectors of the UBC Herbarium. The students sleuthed through museum files, UBC Archives, City of Vancouver Archives, and did oral interviews.
Linda Jennings, Ashley van der Pauw Kraan, Dr. David Brownstein, Paula Duhatschek, and Ildiko Szabo at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum (BBM) was especially fortunate to have two of Dr. David Brownstein’s Research in History Geography Class archiving students haunt the halls of the BBM curatorial wing during the 2014 winter term. Recently, their projects were uploaded to UBC cIRcle.
Assistant Curators, Linda Jennings (UBC Herbarium), Ildiko Szabo (Cowan Tetrapod Collection) and Curatorial Assistant Christopher Stinson (Cowan Tetrapod Collection) participated in the community partnership for Geography 429: Research in Historical Geography. An end of term conference was held at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre, on 25 March 2014 where students presented their findings. Both BBM students did outstanding presentations and our BBM Assistant Curators heard exiting new facts which will be incorporated into the BBM’s collection programs and webpages.
Paula Duhatschek prepared an institutional profile of the Cowan Tetrapod Collection (CTC) and Ashley van der Pouw Kraan researched the biography of 5 early collectors of the UBC Herbarium. The students sleuthed through museum files, UBC Archives, City of Vancouver Archives, and did oral interviews.
The UBC Vertebrate moved out of the Applied Sciences Building and into the newly constructed Biological Sciences Building in 1951.
Ashley’s research focuses on 5 early collectors of UBC Herbarium: Joseph Kaye Henry (Provincial Secretary for the Botanical Club of Canada – Vancouver), Prof. Eli Wilson (Armstrong), Albert J. Hill (Surveyor – New Westminster), Dr. Charles Frederick, and William A. Newcombe, (father and son collectors).
Dr. Charles F. Newcomb: many early plant collectors were doctors searching for chemical extracts, naturally becoming interested in plant – people interactions.
Ashley’s findings tell the story of the collectors who assembled some of the earliest specimens in British Columbia or in Canada (circa 1900). Their collections are the cornerstones of our current understanding of Canadian plant biodiversity. In 2016, the UBC Herbarium will celebrating its’ 100 year anniversary, founded by John “Botany” Davidson. Ashley’s findings will be used to create displays to commemorate this event.
Pictured above is John ‘Botany’ Davidson founder of UBC Herbarium, in proper plant collecting attire of the day, if you’re Scottish.