Post by nomad on Sept 3, 2016 9:02:28 GMT
Among the Butterflies.
Even as a child, I liked old butterfly and moth books, in fact the older the better. If I did enough jobs around the house, I was sometimes given a small amount of pocket money. When I saved up enough, I went up to the older part of our town, where I would visit a Second hand bookshop. You never quite knew what you might find once you entered through the old wooden door where a bell would announce your arrival and you would be greeted by a little elderly man behind a small table. Above the ground floor a narrow staircase led to two other rooms above that had polished wooden floors. Searching up there one day I came across a little book on butterflies ' called 'Among the Butterflies' that was written by the Reverend B.G. Johns in 1891 for young butterfly collectors. Although the book was written for children, it is still very interesting today from a historical perspective.
Among the Butterflies is set in the Hampshire countryside when there were a lot more butterflies in a lot more unpolluted green fields and woodland. The Reverend and his children, the famous five but with net are keen collectors and the book recalls their adventures hunting butterflies throughout the summer during their holiday from London. The Reverend Bennet George Johns (1820-1900) was the chaplain of the Blind school at Southwark in London and in the last few years of his life he became the vicar of Woodmancote where previously he had spent his holidays collecting butterflies with his children. In the book he calls this village the fictional name of "Loudwater".
Among the butterflies is a forgotten book. It does not feature in David Dunbar's ' British Butterflies A History in Books (2010). Among the butterflies is quite scarce little book, not because it did not sell very well, I imagine it did, it would have been a cherished persent for all the hundreds of boys and girls hunting butterflies with their little green gauze bag nets in the Victorian era but because the binding was poor. The pages of my original well thumbed copy became loose and as I moved on the book was lost. I never did forget about this book but it became part of my distant memory. I then saw the book briefly mentioned in the Aurelian Legacy published in 2000. Being a Reverend, Johns certainly did not believe in Darwin but this did not diminish his work. The excitement of the Reverend and his children searching and catching butterflies was very inspiring for a young collector like me, especially as many of the butterflies in his adventures I could only dream about adding to my collection. I recently acquired another copy of 'Among the Butterflies' and when I read the book again after a passage of half a century, I can see why I was thrilled by this book all those years ago. Here are just two passages of delightful prose from the pen of the long departed parson.
" All the time we were gradually mounting up to higher and higher ground, and finding out that a west wind could blow very fiercely when it pleased; and then we all at once came out on the open down, covered with patches of furze, wild thyme and purple heath, and stopped for a moment to turn our faces to the breeze, and drink in the glorious fresh air that seemed to penetrate to every corner of our lungs, and fill us with new life".
" The path which we took brought us at once into a broad grass road, with thickets of green hazel, ash, and young oak on either side, the ground being actually carpeted with wild strawberry, wild basil and ground ivy, interspersed with marjoram. The air was intensely hot, and fragrant with wild flowers; while the commoner butterflies swarmed on every side".
They say as we get older we hark back to our younger days but we all remember pleasant memories, whether they are but a short while ago or many years past.
I expect all must have favourite books that got them started on this enthralling hobby and are still very much fond of them today and perhaps you would like to share them here?
Even as a child, I liked old butterfly and moth books, in fact the older the better. If I did enough jobs around the house, I was sometimes given a small amount of pocket money. When I saved up enough, I went up to the older part of our town, where I would visit a Second hand bookshop. You never quite knew what you might find once you entered through the old wooden door where a bell would announce your arrival and you would be greeted by a little elderly man behind a small table. Above the ground floor a narrow staircase led to two other rooms above that had polished wooden floors. Searching up there one day I came across a little book on butterflies ' called 'Among the Butterflies' that was written by the Reverend B.G. Johns in 1891 for young butterfly collectors. Although the book was written for children, it is still very interesting today from a historical perspective.
Among the Butterflies is set in the Hampshire countryside when there were a lot more butterflies in a lot more unpolluted green fields and woodland. The Reverend and his children, the famous five but with net are keen collectors and the book recalls their adventures hunting butterflies throughout the summer during their holiday from London. The Reverend Bennet George Johns (1820-1900) was the chaplain of the Blind school at Southwark in London and in the last few years of his life he became the vicar of Woodmancote where previously he had spent his holidays collecting butterflies with his children. In the book he calls this village the fictional name of "Loudwater".
Among the butterflies is a forgotten book. It does not feature in David Dunbar's ' British Butterflies A History in Books (2010). Among the butterflies is quite scarce little book, not because it did not sell very well, I imagine it did, it would have been a cherished persent for all the hundreds of boys and girls hunting butterflies with their little green gauze bag nets in the Victorian era but because the binding was poor. The pages of my original well thumbed copy became loose and as I moved on the book was lost. I never did forget about this book but it became part of my distant memory. I then saw the book briefly mentioned in the Aurelian Legacy published in 2000. Being a Reverend, Johns certainly did not believe in Darwin but this did not diminish his work. The excitement of the Reverend and his children searching and catching butterflies was very inspiring for a young collector like me, especially as many of the butterflies in his adventures I could only dream about adding to my collection. I recently acquired another copy of 'Among the Butterflies' and when I read the book again after a passage of half a century, I can see why I was thrilled by this book all those years ago. Here are just two passages of delightful prose from the pen of the long departed parson.
" All the time we were gradually mounting up to higher and higher ground, and finding out that a west wind could blow very fiercely when it pleased; and then we all at once came out on the open down, covered with patches of furze, wild thyme and purple heath, and stopped for a moment to turn our faces to the breeze, and drink in the glorious fresh air that seemed to penetrate to every corner of our lungs, and fill us with new life".
" The path which we took brought us at once into a broad grass road, with thickets of green hazel, ash, and young oak on either side, the ground being actually carpeted with wild strawberry, wild basil and ground ivy, interspersed with marjoram. The air was intensely hot, and fragrant with wild flowers; while the commoner butterflies swarmed on every side".
They say as we get older we hark back to our younger days but we all remember pleasant memories, whether they are but a short while ago or many years past.
I expect all must have favourite books that got them started on this enthralling hobby and are still very much fond of them today and perhaps you would like to share them here?
