This special curator’s list essentially describes a who’s who of fish collectors during the mid-to-late 19th century. As the Department of Fishes’ collections, then comprising of 100,000 specimens, continued to grow, Tarleton H. Bean recognized the need to record exactly from whom these fishes were from. Transcribe the dates and names to get a glimpse of the people, from military leaders and professors to professionals at major international museums, who Smithsonian employees worked closely with to build the ichthyology department’s collections.
This special curator’s list essentially describes a who’s who of fish collectors during the mid-to-late 19th century. As the Department of Fishes’ collections, then comprising of 100,000 specimens, continued to grow, Tarleton H. Bean recognized the need to record exactly from whom these fishes were from. Transcribe the dates and names to get a glimpse of the people, from military leaders and professors to professionals at major international museums, who Smithsonian employees worked closely with to build the ichthyology department’s collections.
For more information, check out the finding aid.