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Finding Aids to Personal Papers and Special Collections in the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 7112

Westwood, J. O. (John Obadiah), 1805-1893

J. O. (John Obadiah) Westwood Papers, 1816-1890

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:Westwood, J. O. (John Obadiah), 1805-1893
Title:J. O. (John Obadiah) Westwood Papers
Dates:1816-1890
Quantity:0.44 cu. ft. (1 5x8 box) (4 microfilm reels)
Collection:Record Unit 7112
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

These papers consist of correspondence to Westwood from entomologists including Alexander Henry Haliday, Sidney Smith Saunders, and George Henry Kendrick Thwaites on fig insects; and Thomas Whitmarsh on isosoma and gall flies; correspondence between Thwaites and Stanford Green concerning fig insects in Ceylon, 1877, collected by Westwood; letters and notes collected by Westwood as part of his collection of autographs of his entomological contemporaries, 1816-1837; and an autograph collection consisting of signatures only.

The manuscript collection, 1840-1890, consists of handwritten notes and drawings, some in color, mostly by Westwood (most were published); proof plates with notations by Westwood; correspondence concerning the disposition of Haliday's entomological collection after Haliday's death, 1882, and notes on the Haliday collection by Westwood; correspondence and drawings from Carl Robert Osten-Sacken and notes by Westwood concerning Diptera; and correspondence concerning corrections on manuscripts and proof plates to be sent for publication; handwritten manuscripts of a catalog of British insects by James Francis Stephens; entomological notes by Walter Elliot; and reprints. In addition, there are photographs of insects.

Historical Note

John Obadiah Westwood (1805-1893) was a naturalist, illustrator, paleographer, antiquarian, and the first Hope Professor of Zoology at Oxford University. One of the most important nineteenth-century British entomologists, he was also well-known for his minute illustrations of insects and reproductions of illuminated manuscripts, especially of the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods.

In 1833, Westwood helped found the Entomological Society in London, and later served in various administrative positions, notably as Secretary, from 1834 to 1847, and as Honorary Life President, from 1883 to 1893. Westwood wrote and illustrated many entomological monographs and also did illustrations of insects for the works of other entomologists, some of which were published for the Entomological Society.

In 1858, Westwood was appointed Keeper of the Hope entomological collection and library at Oxford. The collection and library were donated between 1847 and 1858 by Frederick William Hope, who was the first president of the Entomological Society and a close friend of Westwood. Westwood subsequently added his own entomological collection to Hope's. When Hope established the Hope Professorship in Zoology in 1861, Westwood was appointed to the chair. Westwood served as professor of zoology from 1861 to 1893.

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Descriptive Entry

These papers consist of correspondence to Westwood from entomologists including Alexander Henry Haliday, Sidney Smith Saunders, and George Henry Kendrick Thwaites on fig insects; and Thomas Whitmarsh on isosoma and gall flies; correspondence between Thwaites and Stanford Green concerning fig insects in Ceylon, 1877, collected by Westwood; letters and notes collected by Westwood as part of his collection of autographs of his entomological contemporaries, 1816-1837, including Jean Baptiste Armand Louis Leonce Elie Beaumont, Jean Baptiste Alphonse Boisduval, Leon Dufour, Etienne Laurant Joseph Hippolyte de Fonscolombe, Leonhard Gyllenhal, Thomas Say, and others; and an autograph collection consisting of signatures only.

The manuscript collection, 1840-1890, consists of handwritten notes and drawings, some in color, mostly by Westwood (most were published); proof plates with notations by Westwood; correspondence concerning the disposition of Haliday's entomological collection after Haliday's death, 1882, and notes on the Haliday collection by Westwood; correspondence and drawings from Charles Robert Osten-Sacken and notes by Westwood concerning Diptera; and correspondence concerning corrections on manuscripts and proof plates to be sent for publication; handwritten manuscripts of a catalog of British insects by James Francis Stephens; entomological notes by Walter Elliot; and reprints. In addition, there are photographs of insects seen through the microscope.

The John Obadiah Westwood Papers were donated to Oxford University in May 1982. The Smithsonian Institution Archives retains a microfilm copy of the papers, and color transparencies of the color drawings.

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Access Restriction

The John O. Westwood Papers were donated to Oxford University in May 1982; (2) the Archives retains a microfilm copy of the papers, and color transparencies of the color drawings.

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7112, J. O. (John Obadiah) Westwood Papers

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Container List

Series 1

INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE, 1824-1888.

Box 1

Microfilm copy in Reel 1

Folder 1 Audoin-Gruss

Box 1 of 3
Audoin, Jean Victor, 1840
Badger, Albert, Jr., 1829
Baird, William, 1831
Bell, Thomas
Chevrolat, Louis Alexandre Auguste, 1830
Curtis, John, 1830
Davis, A. H., 1829
Distant, W. L. (See box 3, folder 1)
Dupont, W.
Fitch, Edward H., 1881, 1883
Gervais, Francois Louis Paul
Gruss, Ferdinand (See box 3, folder 7)

Folder 2 Haliday, Alexander Henry, 1836, 1868-1869

Box 1 of 3
Correspondence, 1868-1869, concerning Haliday's and other entomologists' studies, specimens exchanged and examined; and fragment of a long letter or other document apparently sent to Westwood for comment. (See also box 2, folder 5.)

Folder 3 Hanson-Newman

Box 1 of 3
Hanson, Samuel
Hardy, Adrian
Haworth, Adrian H., 1828 (includes part of manuscript of "Lepidoptera Britannica")
Heales, William, 1829 (includes an invitation to a party from Mrs. Heales)
Hooker, W. J. (See box 3, folder 3)
Ingall, Thomas, 1831
Kane, W. F. De Vismes (See box 3, folder 5)
Kirby, William, 1828
Latreille, Pierre Andre, 1830
Loughman, W.
Macleay, William S., 1833
Mayr, Gustav, 1884
Meldola, R. (See box 1, folder 16)
Melly, A., 1832
Murie, James (See box 3, folder 3)
Murray, Andrew, 1857, 1870
Newman, Edward, 1829

Folder 4 Osten-Sacken-Saunders, E. A.

Box 1 of 3
Osten-Sacken, Charles Robert (See box 2, folder 3)
Owen, Richard, 1841
Pickering, Charles
Raddon, W., 1835
Read, W. H. Rudston, 1832
Rothney, George Alexander James, 1888
Saunders, Edward A., 1885, and undated

Folder 5 Saunders, Sidney Smith, 1878-1884

Box 1 of 3
Letters to Westwood accompany specimens for examination especially fig insects. (See box 2, folder 10)

Folder 6 Saunders, W. W.-Thompton

Box 1 of 3
Saunders, William Wilson, 1841 (See box 3, folder 1)
Sharp, David
Spence, William, 1833
Steele, John (See box 3, folder 5)
Stephens, James Francis, 1826
Sturm, Jacob, 1824
Swainson, William, 1830
Thompton, William, 1829

Folder 7 Thwaites, George Henry Kendrick, 1877, 1881

Box 1 of 3
Letters to Westwood, mostly regarding fig insects, (See box 1, folder 13, for correspondence between Thwaites and Stanford Green, 1877)

Folder 8 Walker-West

Box 1 of 3
Walker, Francis A. 1833 (See also box 2, folder 5)
West, Newman & Co. 1883 (See also box 3, folder 4)

Folder 9 Whitmarsh, Thomas, 1884, 1886

Box 1 of 3
Letters to Westwood, mostly regarding isosoma flies and gallflies; and drawings

Folder 10 Wood-Yarrell

Box 1 of 3
Wood, William, 1839
Wright, Perceval (See box 3, folder 5)
Yarrell, William, 1832, 1834

Folder 11 Unidentified, and fragmentary correspondence

Box 1 of 3

Series 2

CORRESPONDENCE COLLECTED BY JOHN O. WESTWOOD, 1816-1837; 1877.

Box 1

Microfilm copy in Reel 1

Folder 12 Autograph collection, mostly correspondence, usually not to Westwood, 1816-1837

Box 1 of 3
Audoin, Jean Victor, see Beaumont
Beaumont, Jean Baptiste Armand Louis Leonce Elie (abstract collected by Audoin, 1829 and given to Westwood, 1837)
Bennet, Edward T., 1829
Boisduval, Jean Baptiste Alphonse, 1830
Dufour, Leon, 1822, 1824
Ferris, Edouard
Fonscolombe, Etienne Laurant Joseph Hippolyte de, 1832
Gray, George Robert
Greville, R. K. to William Baird
Gyllenhall, Leonhard (catalogue of insects to P.F.M.A. Dejean, June, 1820)
Johnston, George to William Baird, 1832
Leach, William Elford, 1816
Lucas, Hippolyte to Jean V. Audoin
Parinet (?), J. U., 1834
Say, Thomas to Christian Rudolphe Wilhelm Weideman, 1830
Serres, Gaston de
Serres, Pierre Marcel Toussaint de, 1816
Straus, Hercule
Van der Kindere, Marcel, 1830
Waterhouse, G. A.
Weideman, Christian Rudolphe Wilhelm

Folder 13 George Henry Kendrick Thwaites-Stanford Green

Box 1 of 3
Correspondence, 1877. Concerns handling of specimens and some observations of insects, especially fig insects in Ceylon. Thwaites sent the specimens to Westwood.

Series 3

AUTOGRAPHS, SIGNATURE ONLY.

Box 1

Microfilm copy in Reel 1

Folder 14 Autographs, signatures only, of prominent entomologists in the 19th Century.

Box 1 of 3

Series 4

HANDWRITTEN MANUSCRIPTS; DRAWINGS; PROOF PLATES; REPRINTS; AND PHOTOGRAPHS, 1840-1890.

Westwood frequently wrote his scientific notes and drawings on the blank reverse side of an envelope, advertisement, or a form letter. The information on the obverse side usually does not pertain to the notes or drawings. In addition, Westwood used scraps of papers to hold his manuscripts in place, and their contents usually do not relate to the manuscripts.

Box 1

Microfilm copy in Reel 2

Coleoptera

Folder 15 Westwood manuscript, "Descriptions of some Exotic Lamellicorn Beetles," read in 1877 and published in Transactions of the Entomological Society, 1878. Includes proof plates, and drawings (some in color).

Box 1 of 3

Folder 16 Westwood manuscript, "Illustrations of several additional species of Lucanidae in the Collection of Major J. Sidney Parry," 1878. Included is a letter from R. Meldola to Westwood concerning corrections of plates, and references. Includes proof plates, and drawings (1 in color).

Box 1 of 3

Folder 17 Westwood manuscript, "A Decade of New "Cetonidae," read in 1879, and published in the Transactions of the Entomological Society, 1879. Includes proof sheets and proof plates.

Box 1 of 3

Folder 18 Westwood manuscript, "A monograph of the Genera Adelotopus and Pseudo morpha," undated. Includes drawings (some in color).

Box 1 of 3

Folder 19 Westwood Manuscripts, Bethylidae: notes, proof plates, and drawings (some in color), 1869.

Box 1 of 3

Box 2

Microfilm copy in Reel 2

Diptera

Folder 1 Westwood manuscripts, "Monograph of the Genus Systropus with note on the economy of a new Species of that Genus," 1876; "A Note on the Economy of a Species of the Dipterous Bombylus," 1876; "A Dipterological Note from Pompeii," 1876; and "Supplement MSS on Acroceridae," 1876. Includes drawings, and a photograph.

Box 2 of 3

Folder 2 Westwood manuscript, "Descriptions of new species of Exotic Tipulidae with an annotated summary of species belonging to the same family previously described," read 1880. Includes drawings and proof plates.

Box 2 of 3

Folder 3 Westwood manuscript and correspondence with Charles Robert Osten-Sacken, 1880-1881, regarding Tipulidae. Includes drawings.

Box 2 of 3

Folder 4 Westwood manuscripts, "Note Dipterologica Part IV. Description of new Genera and Species of the family Acroceridae," undated, and "Descriptions of some new exotic species of Acroceridae, (Vesculosa (?) & atr.) a family of Dipterous insects," read 1840.

Box 2 of 3

Folder 5 Diptera: notes by Westwood and Alexander H. Haliday; includes letter from Francis Walker (1885) to Westwood regarding Haliday's illustrations. Include drawings, proof sheets, and proof plates.

Box 2 of 3

Folder 6 Osten-Sacken, C. R. manuscript, "On the larva of Nycteribia," read 1881 (title given by Westwood). Originally a letter to Westwood but with revisions, it was made into a manuscript. Included are drawings by Osten-Sacken; and notes by Westwood.

Box 2 of 3

Microfilm copy in Reel 3

Fig Insects

Folder 7 Westwood manuscript, "Description of the insects infesting the seeds of Ficus Sycomorus," read 1882. Includes proof plates.

Box 2 of 3

Folder 8 Westwood manuscripts, regarding descriptions of insects infesting Ficus Indicus and Ficus Religiosa, 1882. Includes proof plates.

Box 2 of 3

Folder 9 Westwood manuscript, Notes on Francis Walker's article on fig insects published in The Entomologist, vol. VIII, 1875.

Box 2 of 3

Folder 10 Published and unpublished drawings and notes by Westwood and Sidney Smith Saunders. Also, included is a letter to Westwood from Saunders, 1883, regarding fig insects.

Box 2 of 3

Box 3

Microfilm copy in Reel 3

Hemiptera and Homoptera

Folder 1 Hemiptera and Homoptera notes; drawings (some in color); and proof plates, c. 1868 - c. 1871. Also, included is a letter from William Wilson Saunders to Westwood, 1841, regarding to an enclosed drawing of an insect; and a letter from W. L. Distant to Westwood, 1880, regarding identification of insects drawn by Westwood.

Box 3 of 3

Microfilm copy in Reel 4

Hymenoptera

Folder 2 Westwood manuscript, "Description of a New or Imperfectly known Species of Icheneumones adociti," undated. Includes drawings (some in color).

Box 3 of 3

Folder 3 Westwood manuscript, "Descriptions of some minute Hymenopterous Insects," read 1878, and published by the Linnean Society, 1879. Included are letters from James Murie of the Linnean Society to Westwood, 1878-1879, regarding the manuscript and proof plates; and drawings by Westwood. Also, included are brown and white photographs of insects seen through microscope; and letters from W. J. Hooker to Westwood, 1883, regarding insects which were destroying foliage in northern England.

Box 3 of 3

Folder 4 Westwood manuscript, Hymenoptera, Eurytomides notes and drawings. Also included are letters from West, Newman, and Co. to Westwood regarding proof plates. Includes proof plates, and drawings (some in color).

Box 3 of 3

Microfilm copy in Reel 4

General

Folder 5 Notes and correspondence on the Haliday Collection, 1882. Correspondence from W. F. De Vismes Kane, John Steele, and E. Percival Wright to Westwood concerning the disposition of the collection after Haliday's death; and notes and drawings, mostly by Westwood.

Box 3 of 3

Folder 6 Westwood manuscript, "On Cetonia Aurata and Protaetia Bensoni," read April 7, 1880

Box 3 of 3

Folder 7 Entomological notes, proof plates, and drawings some in color. Includes correspondence from Ferdinand Gruss to Westwood concerning proof plates and Westwood's drawings, 1875.

Box 3 of 3

Folder 8 Notes, proof sheets, and proof plates by Westwood and others. Includes drawings, some in color.

Box 3 of 3

Folder 9 Walter Elliot notes, undated; proof plates by Westwood, 1859.

Box 3 of 3

Folder 10 James Francis Stephens' manuscript, "Stephens' Catalog of British Insects," undated

Box 3 of 3

Folder 11 Reprints (All reprints were published in the Transactions of the Entomological Society.)

Box 3 of 3
Saunders, Sir Sidney Smith, "On the habits and affinities of Aprocrypta and Sycophaga, of the Hymenopterous family Agaonidae, with description of a new species of Apocrypta from the figs of Ficus Sycomore of Egypt," read and published, 1878
Westwood, J. O., "Further descriptions of insects infesting figs," read, 1882, and published 1883
Westwood, J. O., "Further notice concerning the fig insects of Ceylon," read and published 1883.

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