Call Number:

05

Repository:

Delaware County Institute of Science

Extent:

20.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1833-1910 (bulk) and 1833-2010 (inclusive)

Creator:

Delaware County Institute of Science (Media, Pa.)

Abstract:

The Delaware County Institute of Science, located in Media, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was established in 1833 by local residents with a common interest in science and natural history. Shortly after its founding, the Institute started its herbarium, a collection of pressed, dried plants. The Delaware County Institute of Science herbaria collection, 1833-2010 (bulk 1833-1910), consists of the Delaware County Institute of Science's herbarium and additional small herbaria donated by others. Over 5,700 specimens, mostly from the 19th century and the United States (although there are international and later specimens) are included.

The Delaware County Institute of Science, located in Media, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was established in 1833 by local residents with a common interest in science and natural history. Shortly after its founding, the Institute started its herbarium. A herbarium is a collection of pressed, dried plants. Specimens collected for personal use in the 19th century were often glued or sewn into books or pamphlets. Today, specimens are attached to acid-free sheets of paper with linen strips and glue.

Many of the Institute's specimens were collected by its first president, Dr. George Smith (1804-1882), a local doctor, judge, naturalist, and state senator, who donated his personal collection of 2,400 specimens to the Institute's existing specimens in 1869. Many other members added to the Institute's herbarium: John Evans, Minshall Painter, Joshua Hoopes, Isaac Burk, Thomas C. Porter, Benjamin H. Smith, William M. Canby, C. S. Sargent, Francis Pennell, A. E. Osborne, Linnaeus Fussell, T. Chalkley Palmer, Graceanna Lewis, and others. Specimens continued to be added to the Institute's herbarium until the mid-20th century.

Bibliography:

Delaware County Institute of Science. "Herbarium." 2013. Accessed August 12, 2014. http://delcoscience.org/herbarium/.

Hornberger, Kathy. "Herbarium Display." April 12, 2008. Exhibit text viewed on-site August 5, 2014.

This collection consists of herbaria organized into two series: I. Delaware County Institute of Science herbarium, II. Additional herbaria.

The Delaware County Institute of Science herbarium contains approximately 5,700 specimens of vascular plants (including Dr. George Smith's) that are organized alphabetically within five major plant groups, indicated by adhesive colored dots: monocotyledons (monocots), dicotyledons (dicots), gymnosperms, ferns, and fern allies. The specimens include many from the United States, but also some from other parts of the world. They were collected by members of the Institute, both amateur and professional botanists, or by way of a specimen exchange through correspondence between local botanists and botanists located elsewhere (nationally and internationally). Most of the specimens date from the 19th century, but the Institute continued to collect and add specimens until the mid-20th century. Many of the specimen labels include the name of collector, location where the specimen was collected, name of the specimen, and date of collection, but information for many of the earlier specimens is limited or vague.

The Additional herbaria series contains multiple small herbaria donated to the Institute by various sources, not considered part of the Institute's official herbarium. Many of these herbaria are housed in 19th century scrapbooks, although there is at least one modern (early 21st century) collection of common Pennsylvania invasive plants compiled by Institute curator Dr. Kathy Hornberger for teaching botany at Widener University (in Chester, PA). The amount of information about the specimens varies by herbaria; some are not labeled or are unclear. Specimens include Darjeeling ferns, algae, mosses, and other plants. Some specimens have become detached from their mountings in the scrapbooks or have fallen out over time.