Frank Morey, who compiled the extraordinary book that has inspired the exhibition.
NATURE NOTESIT is not only Darwin who celebrates an important anniversary this year. The origins of the IW Natural History and Archaeological Society are also being feted this year with a celebratory exhibition based on the publication of an important book 100 years ago.
Frank Morey (1858-1925), the son of the founder of the timber merchants, published his Guide To The Natural History Of The Isle Of Wight in April 1909.
It was the culmination of a life-long interest in wildlife that had started as a childhood ambition to make a list of all the species found in the world. He had quickly realised this was impossible and decided to focus on the IW.
Together with a friend, Frederick Stratton, they named nearly 7,000 species of fauna and flora, and also included chapters on meteorology, archaeology and geology. There was even a chapter on earthquakes.
Although Morey edited the book and provided several chapters himself, there were 25 authors in total, drawn from a network of residents and visitors who were all specialists in their own way. Very few of them were naturalists by profession: they came from a number of different occupations and the writing styles varied considerably, some more prosaic than others!
The Rev Herbert Mann Livens was a Unitarian minister, and wrote enthusiastically about mosses.
Evelyn William Pollard had a chemist shop in Ryde and wrote about marine worms. He later became a leading amateur expert on seismology: the study of earthquakes. George Colenutt, a solicitor, also from Ryde, was a keen and experienced geologist. Reginald Fox wrote about birds and Frederick Stratton was an expert botanist.
The book gives us a glimpse of the state of the environment in Edwardian times. Dwindling mackerel stocks were noted, blamed on gunfire from the cliff-top batteries and the abundance of pleasure boat traffic.
Buzzards were rare and had never bred on the Island at that time and Mr Fox claimed never to have heard a green woodpecker on the Island. Badgers were considered to be extinct. Conversely, turtle doves were described as 'common everywhere’.
There were a number of photographs in the guide but many are staged using stuffed specimens, owing to the difficulties associated with the long exposure times required.
Handy, then, to have Percy Frank Wadham about, who ran a business in taxidermy which was conveniently based in Carisbrooke, not far from Frank Morey’s home.
Frank Morey himself was a leading light in the foundation of what became the society in 1919, ten years after the publication of his guide. So our history is inextricably linked to the man and the guide.
Frank Morey was also the curator at Carisbrooke Castle Museum and a generous benefactor to local good causes. The exhibition will use the guide as a basis for a demonstration of the huge variety of natural history that can be seen on the Island and will highlight the impact that the guide had on the activities of the society, which continues today.
We hope people will be interested to see the scope of subjects covered and the ways in which everyone can get involved, whether or not they are experts or complete novices.
The exhibition is free and opens on Tuesday, September 22, in The Minster Church of Sts Thomas, Newport, and runs until October 6. It will be open from 10am to 4pm every day except Sundays, when it will be open from noon to 4pm.
There will be members of the society on hand at all times to provide further information.
In addition there will be two guided walks, one on each Saturday of the exhibition. On September 26, Keith Marston will be leading a walk on Newport’s Changing Wildlife and, on October 3, Richard Smout will be taking a stroll through Newport 100 years ago.
You will need to book a place, as numbers will be limited. Details can be found in the council’s Summer and Winter Walks programmes or at www.iwight.com/just_visiting/walking/
We look forward to welcoming you.