Who thought of the Spreading Board?

[trehopr1]

I thought I would pose this question to my fellow European "brethren of the net". Someone thought of it and passed the idea along either purposefully or by accident. It caught on and has remained a necessary tool of the hobby as much as the net or kill bottle. Some members are our resident historical buffs so I thought someone may know or could at least narrow down the years it started and what collectors may have embraced the idea.

[steve]

Well the Sir Hans Sloane specimens in the BMNH from the late 1600's are placed between two sheets of very thin transparent mica and were placed in a book. I have seen a specimen of Urania sloanus there. His specimens became the core of the NHM collection and are housed in the historical collections hall.

[Deleted]

I think Moses Harris mentions setting boards in the Aurelian.

[ciervo]

Its the sort of thing that woulve eventually arisen simultaneously out of necessity

[nomad]

According to the ' Aurelian Legacy ' M.A. Salmon 2000, it was the early 18th century Aurelians such as Moses Harris and J.R. Forester that realized that their specimens needing their wings spreading. Early setting boards had no central groove and the wings were not held in place by paper but by braces. See page 75 of the above book. If you are interested in the early collectors and their methods get this fascinating read, you will hardly put it down and delve into it time and time again. This is the best Entomological reference work on this subject .