Reference Request
Finding Aids to Personal Papers and Special Collections in the Smithsonian Institution Archives
Record Unit 7100
Schaus, William
William Schaus Papers, 1917-1939
Historical Note
William Schaus (1858-1942) was, like many early entomologists, trained for a career he chose not to follow--in Schaus's case, that of an art dealer. Though he studied art and music in America and abroad in preparation for that career, Schaus came under the influence of Henry Edwards and so turned to entomology. For many years he pursued his interest privately, traveling extensively in Europe to broaden his knowledge of lepidoptera, the family to which he devoted his attention during most of his life. In 1919 Schaus joined the Bureau of Entomology of the United States Department of Agriculture and, in 1921, began a long association with the Smithsonian Institution as an honorary curator of insects in the National Museum.
Descriptive Entry
These papers consist largely of Schaus' professional correspondence with his peers and with amateurs, mostly in his capacity as Honorary Curator. They also include fragmentary research notes, correspondence, catalogs, and news clippings relating to acquisition of the Paul Dognin Collection of Lepidoptera.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.
Name
- Dognin, Paul
- Edwards, Henry
- Schaus, William
- United States. Bureau of Entomology
- United States National Museum. Division of Insects
Subject
Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7100, William Schaus Papers