His Majesty the Emperor of Japan awards a grant to the Linnean Society
Press Release Source: Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is delighted to announce that His Majesty the Emperor of Japan has awarded the Society a grant to support the Society’s project to digitise its Linnaean Fish and Shell Collections.
The President of the Linnean Society, Professor David Cutler, subsequently invited His Majesty to support the Society in its endeavors to raise funds for the digitisation of the fish and shell collections to complete this project. His Majesty has granted the request and has made a donation. HE Ambassador Yoshiji Nogami presented the award to Professor Cutler at a ceremony at the Linnean Society of London on Wednesday March 26th.
In speaking of the award, Professor David Cutler, President of the Society, said that “We were delighted to receive the visit of the Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan last May during Linnaeus’ Tercentenary celebrations. His Majesty’s keynote address to the Society was very well received. This donation will help enable the Society to complete the digitisation of the Linnaean fish and shell specimens, making them freely available through the internet. Please convey our sincere thanks and good wishes to His Majesty”.
His Majesty was nominated as one of fifty Foreign Members of the Linnean Society of London in 1980 for his achievements in the Japanese ichthyology, above all for his work on the taxonomy of gobioid fishes, and has been an Honorary Member since 1986.
The Linnean Society of London is creating a digital archive of over 10.7 Terabytes of unique material relating to its historic collections, enabling full global access. The Society is guardian of the priceless collections of specimens, manuscripts and letters of the great Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). A distinguished scientist and doctor, Carl Linnaeus developed the binomial naming system of plants and animals that we are all familiar with today and which provides the fundamental framework for knowledge of the biota of the Earth, supporting effective conservation measures and the sustainable use of biodiversity. The provision of on-line access to these priceless collections makes this important resource available to the global community.
The Linnaean Fish and Shell Collections are a primary reference for taxonomy. The Fish Collection holds 168 dried specimens including a number of important type specimens such as the John Dory, Zeus faber. All major worldwide groups of shells are represented, with over 3,000 items of reliable Linnaean provenance. The coverage reflects the stage of exploration that had been reached in the early 19th Century. There are also a limited number of “supplementary” collections containing corals, barnacles, crabs, brachiopods, sea urchins, starfish, sponges and foraminifera. Providing access to these collections is essential in leading to a better understanding of their status and significance, as the existence of this material has not been widely known outside the specialist community.
The collections also contain the priceless ‘Linnaean pearls’ – the first examples of spherical pearl culture. A set of these pearls has been travelling the world since 2001 as part of the exhibition “Pearls”, organised and administered by the American Museum of Natural History in New York. They have been exhibited in Abu Dhabi, Australia, Canada, France, Japan and the United States.
The Linnaean Correspondence (4,000 letters) and the Linnaean plant specimens (14,300) are now available online at http://www.linnean.org/index.php?id=350 and the insect specimens (3,200) will be available in April 2008.
More Information
The Linnaean Fish and Shell Collections
The Linnaean Collections Online
Visit of Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan in May 2007
Pictures
Top: His Majesty the Emperor of Japan views a display with Linnean Society Zoological Curator, Kathie Way during his visit in May 2007. Behind them is Linnean Society Past President Gordon McGregor Reid.
Bottom: John Dory Zeus faber L. from the Linnaean Fish and Shell Collections
Notes for Editors
The Linnean Society of London is the world’s oldest active biological society. Founded in 1788, the Society takes its name from the great Swedish naturalist, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) who developed the system of binomial nomenclature. This system today provides the fundamental framework for knowledge of the biota of the Earth, supporting effective conservation measures and the sustainable use of biodiversity. The Society is the custodian of Linnaeus’ original library and collections and is creating a digital archive, enabling full global access. It encourages and communicates scientific advances through its three world-class journals, open meetings and website. The Society’s Fellowship is international and its Fellows are drawn from all walks of life including professional scientists and amateur naturalists. The Society welcomes anyone interested in natural history, in all its forms. www.linnean.org
For more information and/or photos please contact Elaine Shaughnessy, Head of Development or Kate Longhurst, Communications Manager on +44 (0)207 434 4479.
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