June 2013: Wallace Centenary Event in Bournemouth

On Friday 7th June 2013 the Linnean Society of London joined forces with the Society for the History of Natural History, Bournemouth University and Bournemouth Natural Sciences Society to hold a one-day celebration marking the centenary of Alfred Russel Wallace’s death.

The event began with talks focusing on Wallace’s life and letters, collecting and collections, and his contributions to the study of natural history and evolutionary biology.

Following in the footsteps of Wallace ...to the Amazon and Rio Negro 
Andrew Sortwell, Leader of WETA (and other teams) and David Ord Kerr, wildlife artist specialising in tropical birds

Conserving Wallace’s Notebooks and Journals
Janet Ashdown, Conservator, Linnean Society of London

On the Organic Law of Change: Alfred Russel Wallace's evolutionary insights and arguments in his "Species Notebook" of 1855-1859
Professor Jim Costa, Highlands Biological Station and Western Carolina University

Life through Letters: The Wallace Correspondence Project
Caroline Catchpole, Archivist Wallace Correspondence Project, Natural History Museum

Am Feeling Quite Jolly! The Wallace Collections at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Annette Lord, Oxford University Museum, Oxford

Wallace on Natural Selection: What Did He Really Have in Mind
Dr Charles Smith, West Kentucky University

Following the talks the delegates had the opportunity to view some of Wallace’s collections, letters and some artefacts from the Amazon before attending the theatrical performance ‘You Should Ask Wallace’ by Theatre na n'Og.

In the evening the delegates attended an evening reception at the Bournemouth Natural Sciences Society (BNSS), which is a true hidden treasure of this seaside town. The BNSS holds a vast array of collections from beautiful taxonomy of the British Isles and further afield to an Egyptian mummy. Those who had not visited before were amazed at the collections at the Society and were even more fascinated to learn of the strong ties between the BNSS and Wallace.

On Saturday 8th June, Bournemouth University linked up with the BNSS to coordinate a coach visit to Wallace’s grave and a short nature walk in the local area. The group were lucky enugh to spot damsel flies, a roe deer and a few grass snakes in addition to many other insects and birds. 
The Linnean Society would like to take this opportunity to thank all the speakers and contributors to this two-day celebration.

There are many other events taking place across the UK to celebrate the centenary of Wallace’s death. To keep up to date with all the news and events, why not visit the Wallace100 website.