The drawings of Antoine Nicolas Duchesne for his Natural History of the Gourds

Harry S. Paris

• Publisher: Publications scientifiques du Muséum
• Year: 2019
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9782856539071
• Subtopic: Science History
• Index: History

For the first time, this book makes available to a wide readership, not only to an educated audience, high-resolution reproductions of all the 258 paintings of gourds of the genus Cucurbita, figuring about a hundred cultivars, kept at the Bibliothèque centrale of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, made in the 18th century by the talentuous Antoine Nicolas Duchesne, of the Royal Garden in Versailles, a forerunner of genetics and evolution. This book by Dr. Harry Paris, a leading expert of Cucurbitaceae, is written both in English and French and is aimed at scientists (e.g., botanists, geneticists, agronomists, horticulturists, science historians) as well as more general readers including gardeners, above all those very numerous fond of cultivated plants, particularly of Cucurbitaceae. Its large format (320 x 440 mm), the diversity and magnificence of its plates and the beauty of its presentation will also attract bibliophiles. This volume is not only the first publication to contain Duchesne's naming and classification of the three economically most important species of Cucurbita, it also contains Duchesne's summary of his investigations with this genus. The plates are accompanied by reprinting of appropriate abstracts from Duchesne's Essai sur l'histoire naturelle des courges together with, by Harry Paris, commentaries on the illustrations with an analysis of existing published and unpublished documents concerning these plates. As for his work on strawberries, here once again is stressed the unfailing tenaciousness and extraordinary sense of observation of Antoine Nicolas Duchesne coupled with quite original and premonitory evolutionary ideas.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Bibliographic informations
• First pages
• Notes
• Table of contents
• Liminary
• Foreword
• Préface
• Prologue
• Prologue
• Biography of Antoine Nicolas Duchesne
• Biographie d’Antoine Nicolas Duchesne
• The Essai sur l’Histoire Naturelle des Courges
• L’Essai sur l’Histoire Naturelle des Courges
• Introduction
• Introduction
• The Genus Cucurbita
• Le Genre Cucurbita
• Glossary and Translation of Terms used
• Glossaire et traduction des termes utilisés
• The Experiments to Define the Species of Cucurbita
• Les expériences pour définir les espèces de Cucurbita
• Context of the Drawings
• Contexte des planches
• Duchesne’s general remarks on the Pepos
• Remarques générales de Duchesne sur les pépons
• Drawings series 1-13. Plates 1-26
• Dessins séries 1-13. Planches 1-26
• Drawings series 14-31. Plates 27-44
• Dessins séries 14-31. Planches 27-44
• Drawings series 32-44, 46, 47. Plates 45-67, 69-80
• Dessins séries 32-44, 46, 47. Planches 45-67, 69-80
• Drawings series 45, 48-79. Plates 68, 81-156
• Dessins séries 45, 48-79. Planches 68, 81-156
• Drawings series 80-93. Plates 157-228
• Dessins séries 80-93. Planches 157-228
• Drawings series 94-96. Plates 229-232
• Dessins séries 94-96. Planches 229-232
• Drawings series 97-98. Plates 233-237
• Dessins séries 97-98. Planches 233-237
• Remaining drawings: Plates 238-257
• Les dessins restants. Planches 238-257
• One last drawing. Plate 258
• Un dernier dessin. Planche 258
• Conclusions
• Conclusions
• Epilogue
• Épilogue
• Drawings of Antoine Nicolas Duchesne: n°1-128
• Drawings of Antoine Nicolas Duchesne: n°129-258
• Acknowledgements
• Remerciements
• References / Bibliographie
• Index of scientific names / Index des noms scientifiques
• Annexe