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Harvard Botanist and Friend of Darwin Writes to Theology Student about a Flower
Harvard Botanist and Friend of Darwin Writes to Theology Student about a Flower
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Description:

Harvard Botanist and Friend of Darwin Writes to Theology Student about a Flower

This fascinating letter from America’s first professional botanist discusses a genus of flowering plants that includes the Texas bluebell. He writes to a young theology student at Andover Theological Seminary in Andover, Massachusetts, who went on to serve as pastor of Congregational churches in Vermont and Massachusetts and to work as an amateur botanist.

ASA GRAY, Autograph Letter Signed, to John D. Kingsbury, July 3, 1854, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 1 p., 7.5ʺ x 9.5ʺ. Expected folds; some residue on verso from mounting; very good.

Complete Transcript
Cambridge July 3d 1854
Dear Sir
In reply to your favor of the 3d ult. (which I received this morning) I would answer your enquiries by stating that the genus Eustoma does not belong to Convolvulaceae at all, but to Gentianaceae. It is to be found in all general works from Don’s Syst. Gard. & Bot, vol 4, p. 175 (where it was established) to De Candolle’s Prodromus vol. 9, p. 51—the latter a work which I should suppose would be indispensable to you.
It is not in the Flora of N. America because that work has not yet reached this family.
The name “Tall Eustoma” seems to indicate your figure as taken for Eustoma exaltatum Grisebach, - i.e. which is cultivated, though not so much so as the Texan E. Russelianum.
I remain, Dr Sir
Very Respectfully Yours
Asa Gray
J. D. Kingsbury, Esq.

Historical Background:
In this letter, Gray refers to Scottish botanist George Don’s A General System of Gardening and Botany, published in four volumes between 1832 and 1838. Don (1798-1856) provided a Linnean arrangement of binominal nomenclature for many plant species. Gray also refers to Augustin Pyramus de Candolle’s seventeen-volume treatise on botany entitled Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis. Swiss botanist de Candolle (1778-1841) intended for the work to be a summary of all known seed plants. He compiled seven volumes between 1824 and 1838. After his death in 1841, his son Alphonse de Candolle (1806-1893) took up the work and edited another ten volumes between 1844 and 1873, with contributions from many authors.

Gray also refers to his own work with John Torrey (1796-1873) in producing Flora of North America in two volumes (1838-1843). In 1878, Gray published Synoptical Flora of North America as a sort of continuation of the series.

August Heinrich Rudolf Griesbach (1814-1879) was a German botanist who specialized in the families of Gentianaceae and Malpighiaceae. The Gentianaceae family of flowering plants includes 87 genera and approximately 1,600 species, including the Texas bluebell discussed in this letter. The Convolvulaceae family has about 60 genera and more than 1,650 species of mostly herbaceous vines, but also including the sweet potato.

Asa Gray (1810-1888) was born in New York of Irish and Scotch-Irish ancestry. He enrolled at Fairfield Academy in 1825 and switched to the Medical College in 1826. He began mounting botanical specimens and attempted to meet botanist John Torrey on a trip to New York City. Although Torrey was not home, Gray left specimens at his house that so impressed Torrey that they began a correspondence. Gray graduated with a medical degree in 1831 and opened a medical office but rarely practiced medicine, devoting himself to botany. From 1833 to 1835, Gray served as an assistant to Torrey at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. In 1838, Gray became the first permanent professor of the newly founded University of Michigan and was sent to Europe to purchase books and equipment for the university. After successfully acquiring approximately 3,700 books for the University’s library, he resigned in 1840 without ever teaching a class. In 1842, Harvard University offered Gray a position as professor of botany and superintendent of Harvard’s botanic garden, a position he held until 1873. In 1848, he married Jane Lathrop Loring, and she accompanied her husband on most of his expeditions. During his time at Harvard, Gray created the botany department and wrote several textbooks and reference works. He worked extensively on what is called the “Asa Gray disjunction,” the surprising morphological similarities between many eastern Asian and eastern North American plants. His work in this area gave significant support to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. After meeting Charles Darwin in 1839, Gray and Darwin exchanged about three hundred letters between 1855 and 1881. Gray arranged for the publication of an American edition of On the Origin of Species to protect Darwin’s copyright and royalties. Unlike fellow Harvard professor Louis Agassiz who opposed Darwin’s theory, Gray was a strong supporter, believing in theistic evolution.

John Denison Kingsbury (1831-1908) was born in Vermont and graduated from the University of Vermont in 1852. He graduated from Andover Seminary in 1856, and served as pastor of Congregational churches in Vermont for eight years. In 1866, he became pastor of the First Congregational Church in Bradford, Massachusetts, a position he held for thirty-five years. He wrote a number of articles, including some on botany. He married Charlotte Martha Field in 1861, and they had four children.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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