old butterflies by famous collectors

[trehopr1]

All very nice Parnassius specimens Radusho and deliasfanatic. Do these historic specimens generally come at a premium price (as one might assume)?

[deliasfanatic]

Surprisingly, that hasn't been my experience. I've picked them up for around the same cost as "non historic" specimens, although in some cases, recent specimens aren't possible to obtain. The Parnassius I've shown here came from the collection sale of a friend who died about 5 years ago.

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Fantastic specimens Danny. As for cost, mine were very cheap but it's how much people want them as with all things really, I wouldn't put that much of a price premium on them above those specimens collected by non famous collectors but the interest is enormous. I have some more swallowtails on the boards that are 100 years plus old, they were not papered but had a pin inserted through the side of the thorax and pinned in the box, they had been that way for over a century so it was a bit tentative relaxing them, alas one came apart, a male mimoides lysithous which I have attempted to repair, too old and historic just to throw away, the hindwings and forewings have been set and I will attempt to join the body and abdomen when they are dry.

[deliasfanatic]

Good luck with the repair, Dunc. As you say, it's a precious thing and salvage work is in order. A couple of years ago, I bought a collection that included a lot of old and interesting specimens. Some had been pinned in the way that you describe, i.e. sideways through the thorax, with only 2 wings showing. I went through the collection, confirming identifications, resetting where necessary, and so on. When I got to the "sideways pinned" specimens, planning to relax and set them properly, I found that most had only two wings! The others must have been damaged, so the original collector discarded them and used the remaining two wings as a "verso". Very odd (and annoying) - I've never seen any others done like that.

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It's done, really pleased with it, just has to dry now, I won't use a modern specimen to replace the antenna though, I will leave it as it is, a nice 1909 specimen, just been through the others, pics to follow, just found a specimen that I have from the Henley Grose Smith collection from 1910, the year before he died, trying to upload the picture now on my near to death computer.

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Heraclides hectorides, ex Henley Grose Smith 1910.

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Attachment DeletedParides eurimedes mylotes (=arcas mylotes), Guatemala 1926 Dr G G Buckley

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 hippocrates 1884

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imoides lysithous female Iguasso Parana Brazil 25th jan 1922.

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apilio protenor 1893.

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[Adam Cotton]

The hippocrates and protenor were probably sold by Oberthür. They look like his labels. As well as publishing books and papers he was also an insect dealer.

Adam.