Botanical writer and taxonomist (1810-1888) considered to be the most important American botanist of the 19th century. Darwiniana, a collection of his essays, was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessarily mutually exclusive. Two ALSs by Asa Gray, totaling six pages on two sets of adjoining sheets, 5.25 x 8, April 8 and June 30, 1856. Both to English chemist, botanist and geologist Charles Daubeny. The first, in part: "I have viewed the kind invitation to attend the meeting of the British Association this year, and I particularly regret that I cannot cross the Atlantic again to attend it…I am very busy in bringing out a new and much extended edition of my Botany of the Northern U S. which I hope to complete next month. Our excellent plant collector Mr. Fendler, of whose fine New Mexican collection, your herbarium has a full set—has just returned from the mountains of Venezuela with large collections, and is looking up his former subscribers, to see if they will take sets of the present collections of dried plants—some of the best are dead and gone—as Webb, and Mr. Fielding. As the Fielding herbarium is under your charge, Fendler desires me to ask if the Oxford herb'm will take a set of the new collection."
The second, in part: "I have delayed to send a reply to your kind letter…until I should find a good opportunity of sending on to you the sets of Fendler's Venezuela collection of plants, for which you ask. This week's steamer takes the bundle to London…I send you set no. 10—which comprises 665 species…He is already back in Venezuela, making a good collection…Hooker is much pleased with his set. The specimens are much crowded in the packages." In very good condition, with scattered staining and soiling, some show through of arithmetic notations to the first letter, and paper loss to the first page of the second letter (affecting some of the writing).
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