William Curtis

Infobox Scientist
name = William Curtis
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caption = Portrait from Curtis's Botanical Magazine
birth_date = 11 January 1746
birth_place = Alton, Hampshire
death_date = 7 July 1799
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nationality = English
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field = Botany and Entomology
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known_for = Publications
author_abbrev_bot = Curtis
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William Curtis (11 January 1746 – 7 July 1799) was an English botanist and entomologist, who was born at Alton, Hampshire.

Curtis began as an apothecary, before turning his attention to botany and other natural history. The publications he prepared effectively reached a wider audience than early works on the subject had intended. [cite web | url = http://www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/exhibits/herbal/curtis.htm | title = William Curtis | accessdate = 2007-09-01 | author = | date = | year = | month = | work = Herbals and insects | publisher = University of Massachusetts | quote = The scope of natural history changed dramatically in 18th century England under the influence of published works directed at amateurs. ] At the age of 25 he produced "Instructions for collecting and preserving insects; particularly moths and butterflies". ["Instructions for collecting and preserving insects; particularly moths and butterflies. Illustrated with a copper-plate, on which the nets, and other apparatus necessary for that purpose are delineated…" London: Printed by the author, and sold by George Pearch, 1771. iv, 90 p. fold. plate, 22 cm]

Curtis was demonstrator of plants and Praefectus Horti at the Chelsea Physic Garden from 1771 to 1777. He established his own London Botanic Garden at Lambeth in 1779, moving to Brompton in 1789. He published "Flora Londinensis" (6 volumes, 1777–1798), a pioneering work in that it devoted itself to urban nature. Financial success was not found, but he went on the publish "The Botanical Magazine" in 1787, a work that would also feature hand coloured plates by artists such as James Sowerby, Sydenham Edwards, and William Kilburn.

Curtis was to gain wealth from the ventures into publishing, short sales on "Londinensis" were offset by over 3,000 copies of the magazine. Curtis said they had each brought 'pudding or praise'.

The genus "Curtisia" is named in his honour. His publication was continued as the esteemed botanical publication, "Curtis's Botanical Magazine". The noted natural history illustrators, James Sowerby and Sydenham Edwards both found a start with the eminent magazine.

The standard botanical author abbreviation Curtis is applied to plants described by this botanist, who should also appear on this list.

References

*cite web | url = http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/iss/library/speccoll/exhibitions/botex/curtis.html | title =Case 3: William Curtis and The Botanical Magazine | accessdate = 2007-07-30 | author = Hugh Cahill | date = 2006-05-10 | work = Nature observed: The work of the botanical artist | publisher = King's College London | pages = | language = | quote = Flora Londinensis is one of the most beautiful and important botanical publications of the eighteenth century.

External links

* [http://www.beeskneez.com William Curtis, The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 1 to 8. Searchable Index]
* [http://www.mostlymaps.com/reference/Botanical/curtis-edwards.php Biography of William Curtis]
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