Moving/ downsizing, donating collection, books, getting old

[Chuck]

Hi Chuck,

I don't know about the moths, but that "sandy useless scrub" harbors some of the neatest species of beetles in that state!! (I know you're being facetious, as am I! )

Ciao,
Bandrow

I suspect you are right, Bob. The easy taxa found along highways are typically the best studied, while those in adverse environments get, not surprisingly, less attention. Between the "sandy useless scrub", the mangroves, and the seas of mixed semi-wet ecosystems I'll bet there's all sorts of interesting insects in need of study. All of these environments are completely foreign to me, as are the insects- I know Vanuatu better than Florida.

[Chuck]

Well, I'm days from seeing my collection heading off. Some is going to Cornell, the scientifically interesting material. The commercial stuff- most of which I bought when I was much younger- I figured Cornell really doesn't need, and lots of this material is now hard to get, so a retailer will get this; that way he can share it out to the collector community. Stand by for more info.

One challenge I faced was finding a stable, sane institution to take the collection. I have to say, at the end of the day I did not find this such that it satisfied my concerns, but I believe the collections department will outlast institutional instability. I hope. Too, I looked at the investment institutions were willing to make to get the collection. One said they'd really like it, it was a great fit, and they'd take it if I delivered it. I always look at "skin in the game" - what's the other party's commitment? And if the other party has no skin in the game, I'm not interested. In fact, said institution said there was no funding for collection gathering, yet they blow money on other Lep projects. I think wait? I'm supposed to incur cost to deliver this to you, free? So they unfortunately got themselves eliminated, which is too bad because a significant subset of my collection would have been a great fit.

I wonder how I'll feel. My office is getting empty- $30k in non-bug collectibles has already left. I miss some of it, but it's in good, caring hands. But the bugs are different- these aren't "collectibles", they aren't even- to me- "things"- they are my life. They are every trip I've taken; they are my refrigerator magnets. They remind me of great trips, and some not so great times. They were a huge financial cost, which isn't being recovered. They've been with me, some for 50+ years, with a few hundred added every year. It's like I'm disappearing slowly.

[jhyatt]

Lord, that's a depressing post, Chuck. You'd better start collecting again as soon as possible when you move!
jh

[mothman55]

It will be interesting to hear your thoughts a few months after all is gone. I do not look forward to the day I no longer feel I can maintain my beloved collection, hoping that day is still a decade or two off. A friend (Ken Thorne) recently donated his entire collection to the Royal Ontario Museum, and I will be asking if in retrospect if he finds it was the right decision. Another friend (Norm Tremblay) is passing his collection on to a relative, and I know he gets a lot of comfort from just having his collection in his basement to view any time he wants. Parting with something that is a big part of your life has got to be emotionally draining, and if you soon come to regret it, I think the answer would be to keep a small number of drawers with your most prized specimens, even if its just a couple of drawers, there have to be a few you can never part with.

[wollastoni]

Chuck < donating/selling your collection is the good thing to do. I know so many people who got their collection destroyed/lost because they let that to be handled by their children who weren't entomologist.

Thank you too for sharing your feelings. It must be a tough decision indeed. I guess it's part of our hobby too. And I am sure that, after few months, you will feel relieved. An idea could be too start studying a new group which is interesting and doesn't take much space and money. I would say Catasticta for example... to keep the passion alive !

[Chuck]

I'll let you guys know how I feel when it's gone! Part of the driver has been the regret that my collection, though open to research, isn't as widely known as the institutions. And I've not had time to exercise part of it. I had noted that iNat had an incorrect photo of Papilio erskinei, so I had the contributor remove his photo and I uploaded correct photos of male and female, and mine are all that are on iNat to this day. But there are many more that need to be shared, in whichever way.

Moving to FL, a grave concern of mine, founded or not, is that a hurricane could wipe out everything, and all that science would be lost. That would be on me. So this way it's arguably protected (at least from a hurricane!)

I have no idea what I'll study next, being completely ignorant of Florida Leps. I'll figure it out later. I'll keep you updated, and thanks for the kind thoughts.

[wollastoni]

One of my plan, before donating/selling my collection in the future, is totally "digitalizing" it. So that, all entomologists will be able to study it in the future.
Of course digitalizing about 10,000 specimens with their collecting label is a crazy amount of work... so I hope I will have the energy to do so.
And then a digital copy will be sent to all Delias collectors/specialists.

Food for thoughts for some of you maybe.

[Chuck]

One of my plan, before donating/selling my collection in the future, is totally "digitalizing" it. So that, all entomologists will be able to study it in the future.
Of course digitalizing about 10,000 specimens with their collecting label is a crazy amount of work... so I hope I will have the energy to do so.
And then a digital copy will be sent to all Delias collectors/specialists.

Food for thoughts for some of you maybe.

That had been my plan, really just a dream. It would take a thousand hours to do it. I really only "needed" to do about 30 drawers, but even that task is a couple hundred hours. So it never happened. I did get some of my proposed Papilio solstitius paratypes photographed and uploaded to iNat and BOLD, but even that took time.


Some institutions started the effort, though I don't know any that have kept up, and in some cases even the data that was online is now gone, probably when the funding dried up.

With something like Delias, the task is likely somewhat achieved as you've done- photo the important specimens. Uploading to InsectNet is great, but redundancy by uploading elsewhere (eg iNat) offers greater survivability of the data. There's plenty of Delias species that frankly we don't need any more photos of, so skip them and save time.

[wollastoni]

Naturalis is on the way to fully digitalized their lep collection. I will create a dedicated topic about that.

You are right that it is a huge tasks and starting by rarities is a good idea.
I may hire someone to do it, to be sure it is done.

[kevinkk]

Some things just might last forever. If you can get your data or photos on the internet, it'll be there a very long time.

[Cabintom]

About a month ago I had to urgently relocate away from Bunia. I was able to charter a Cessna Caravan out, but it was filled with our team members and other colleagues, so non-essential belongings were left behind. My collection sits there as we wait to see what will happen .

Fortunately(?), when you live in DRCongo, evacuations are an almost expected reality of life. So, I implemented an ongoing contingency plan:
1) Photographing every specimen that comes off the spreading boards (in as best quality as I can muster).
2) Depositing the more interesting material at the African Butterfly Research Institute (or elsewhere) whenever possible.
3) Keeping all interesting (or semi-interesting) unset material in a single easy-to-pack sealed plastic container.
4) Keeping scientifically interesting material in a single box for quick & easy transfer to their own plastic container.

So, here I am safely in northern Congo (out of the red zone) with my unset specimens and a small container of material I planned on donating (mostly to someone who's working on a revision of Appias & Dixeia).

[wollastoni]

Glad to hear you are safe Thomas. I thought a lot about you with the recent events.
Hope you will be able to go back to Bunia soon and that your unique collection is safe. As you said, it's part of the life there...

[Chuck]

About a month ago I had to urgently relocate away from Bunia. I was able to charter a Cessna Caravan out, but it was filled with our team members and other colleagues, so non-essential belongings were left behind. My collection sits there as we wait to see what will happen .

Sorry you had to depart, but I've been there and done that. Having a bag ready to go is an old method to save the most important, because there's often no warning- just grab and go.

Historically, I'd kept my collection to a 100 drawer maximum, and any excess was sent off, but I got lazy and sloppy (frankly, free time is somehow less than ever- how can that be?)

About 1/3 of it is being picked up by a well known retailer today. About 1/2 is being picked up by Cornell next week. I'll retain about 24 drawers, of which (I am PRAYING) some will be empty for future use.

This plan, I hope, satisfies several concerns: (1) it keeps me in the game, (2) it disperses my collection so that one event won't destroy my legacy, and (3) collectors like some folks here have the opportunity to get hard-to-find specimens.

[Chuck]

Well, it's been three days since 25% or so of my collection was picked up by one of the big retailers.

If I had to pick one word, it's relieved. There was a lot of very desirable but hard to find species, and I'd felt guilty about having them. Now, what he doesn't cherry pick out for himself will be made available to collectors.

Beyond that, I have to share what a dummy I am.

I'd scheduled w/ Cornell for pick-up this Wednesday.

And for weeks, I've watched my lovely lady every night and on weekends: patching, sanding, painting. Day in, day out. And finally, she's done. The walls are all refreshed, the trim moulding all painted, some of it new. Then she vacuumed the whole house, and steam cleaned the carpets. She's really knocked herself out- I mean really- she's exhausted.

Then it dawned on me.

Wednesday, the day of Cornell pickup, is the day the house gets listed for sale. Open house is Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

Now, what is the chance that in moving a whole lot of drawers through one freshened hallway, and down one steam cleaned set of stairs, that nobody bumps a wall or gets dirt on the carpet? I don't know, but it's not zero. Which would mean that I'd then have to tell me missus that we ruined her hard work the day before the open house.

That, I think you will know, would be the death of me. So I had to reach out to Cornell and ask for a postponement. Dummy.

[Chuck]

So it's been a month since part of my collection left. This material was what I consider "commercially desirable" and Royce from BioQuip Bugs flew out from CA to pick it up. He's got some great stuff, particularly stuff from the 1970s that one cannot get anymore. Plus 1980s and 1990s Ornithoptera. Keep an eye on his website.

Do I miss it? Not really. I feel relief that I'm no longer responsible for it, and I don't feel the guilt that it was somewhat unreachable for research. I'm sure all this stuff will find good, appreciative homes over the next couple years.

Trehopr1 was kind enough to move some books from my house to his. Glad to know they will be appreciated.

70% of the collection is going to Cornell CUIC next week. Finding the paratypes of Papilio solstitius was a real PITA- fortunately, they were mostly collated by date, and I had at hand the capture dates of my paratypes. In any event, CUIC will now hold what may be the largest collection of Papilio solstitius.

The numerous specimens I have obtained from members here for research are also going to CUIC, with few exceptions. So your legacy will soldier on in yet one more institution.

When I sorted out what I wanted to retain I was shocked- 7 Cornell drawers. That's it. And that's after a concession to memories, specimens that I don't need for research, but hold great memories for me. I haven't had but 7 drawers of specimens in 45 years.

OF COURSE there will be specimens that later I need for research. It is inevitable. But I elected to take that path rather than retain too much.

Will I regret disposing of my collection? I don't think so. Even though most will sit in Pro Tem until well after I'm gone, it will be available to others' research. And I will have mitigated any potential loss due to a hurricane- that concern has haunted me. I bought this home on a sand hill for a reason, but now moving to a hurricane area.

Funny, the specimens of Tiger Swallowtails I have retained might be scoffed at by some- potentially bjorkae, potentially "near canadensis", and various "spring form." Plus some key P rutulus. Now, how I will do further research on these is beyond me, since none exist where we are going, LOL!

I will say cleaning out has been nice. It LOOKS nice. Our home was my museum. I didn't realize how much STUFF I had; a complete museum worth of rare collectibles. Hmmm....now that I think of this, I haven't found the Mesoamerican artifacts. And it wasn't just me- our daughter's library filled shelves floor to ceiling; now her room looks very nice and spacious.

One feeling I found odd was a loss of attachment. Particularly with the Solomon Islands material, each specimen held a spectacular memory. For years, looking at any one took me back to a place, a time. But that's not there anymore...I have the memories, but they aren't so much of interest anymore. I suppose that's why I'm only retaining seven drawers of specimens...it seems that maybe 20 or 25 years relegates memories to unemotional.

[jhyatt]

Chuck,

Have you read Partick Matthews' "The Pursuit of Moths and Butterflies" (London, Chatto & Windus, 1957)? On p. 13 he relates the following:

"Mr. Chorlton, having colleccted all his life, loses his collection in the war. The old man says 'You know, it sounds worse than it is. If I had foreknowledge that it was going to happpen, I am sure I might have killed myself. But now it's happened, and I've got over the first shock, I feel curiousy free. It's an odd sensation when you're over seventy. Those rows of Magpie moths and Fritillaries -- how alarmed I was lest the mites or damp should get into my cabinet drawers...! Well, I can think of them now without regret. For my last years at least I shall be very free!"

For some reason your post brought that passage to mind. Hope you enjoy your newfound freedom and peace of mind.

Cheers,
jh

[Chuck]

John, I have not read- nor heard of- that book. Interesting that I'm not alone when I feel the burden of maintaining a collection. I am glad I'd already over the years distributed tens of thousands of specimens!

I will be taking two short cabinets, for a total of 24 drawers' space. With only 7 full drawers, that leaves me 17 drawers to work on filling!

[livingplanet3]

Knowing that others' collections number in the thousands (or even tens of thousands) of specimens, makes me somewhat relieved that my own only consists of hundreds . It's not a collection of any real scientific significance anyway, and many of the specimens are ones that have been passed along to me over the years by others. Many of them do not even have any data. It's more of an aesthetic assemblage than anything else; certainly not a research collection. I do have at least a few rarities of note however, such as gynandromorphs, that I should ensure go into good hands, before I really get on in years.

[kevinkk]

livingplantet3, we all appproach it differently, I have 15 mostly filled cases from Bioquip, the 12" x 18" ones. Some of my early specimens have no data,something I regret now, but it's a little late for that.
I raise for specimens, and go out collecting, the only deadstock I have bought is some Ornithoptera and a couple Goliath beetles.
The work and dedication others put into their collections and studies is admirable, and without those individuals, the science would be very different.
My stuff may go into a local museum, maybe, it remains to be seen.
I'm older, less healthy than i used to be, and only 60- do it now before you can't.
This platform has made me a better collector, for what that ends up being worth, but I do appreciate it.

[Chuck]

I think participating here has made everyone better.