MCCOURT, RICHARD M.*, EARLE E. SPAMER, and ALFRED E. SCHUYLER. Academy of Natural Sciences, 19th and the Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103. - The Herbarium of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: Saving an American Treasure.
One of the remarkable results of the expedition of Meriwether Lewis
and William Clark in 1803-1806 was their extensive collection of
western North America’s flora. The collections, mostly by Lewis, were
the first extensive sampling of vegetation in the western territories
newly acquired by the United States from France. Despite the loss of
some specimens on the trail and subsequent to Lewis’s return from the
expedition, a large number of plant specimens were presented to
President Thomas Jefferson, the scientific mentor of the expedition.
Today, after nearly two centuries and a circuitous path through the
hands of a number of botanists at institutions in the U.S. and
England, the bulk of the collection (226 specimen sheets) resides in
the Lewis and Clark Herbarium of the Academy of Natural Sciences in
Philadelphia. More than a third of the Lewis and Clark herbarium is
type material, which includes three state flowers (Montana, Idaho, and
Oregon) and a state grass (Montana). With the bicentennial of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition approaching in 2003-6, we have assessed
restoration needs of the collection. The condition of the specimens
varies widely, from fragmentary to nearly intact plants in excellent
shape. Ongoing efforts include repairs to sheets and specimens,
re-housing specimens in custom archival holders and cabinets, and
upgrading environmental conditions in storage rooms. In response to
growing public interest in the Lewis and Clark Herbarium, a database
and a series of digitized images of specimens will be made available
to scientists, students, and the general public via the internet and
print publications, as well as museum display. This restoration
project is funded by federal grant from the Save America’s Treasures
Program of the National Park Service, the Institute for Museum and
Library Services, and private donors.
Key words: herbarium, historical botany, Lewis and Clark expedition