University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries Magazine 2018 Fall Libraries Magazine | Page 32

The History of Biology Instruction at UW–Madison
By Bill Reeder, Kathryn
Jones, and Laura Monahan
T
he library of the
University of Wisconsin
Zoological Museum has roots
that reach back to the origin
of the university. In 1848,
prior to the construction
of its first building, the
University of Wisconsin
Board of Regents requested
that specimen collection for
a “Natural History Cabinet”
be initiated. Geological,
botanical, and zoological specimens were obtained,
initially by Horace Tenney, Assistant State Geologist and
the contributions of Increase Lapham “for the purpose of
natural science i nstruction.” With subsequent moves from
North Hall (1851), South Hall (1855), and University (later
Bascom) Hall (1858), the specimen count was recorded as
12,137 in 1865.
In 1875, Edward A. Birge was appointed Instructor (later
Professor, Dean, and President) and Assistant Curator of
Cabinet. A year later, Science Hall was constructed to house
new science courses, laboratories, and the collections.
A tragic and devastating fire in 1884 demolished this
structure and most contents, including the natural science
collections.
Due to the significant loss caused by the fire, great
care was taken in planning and construction of the new
building. The New Science Hall was completed in 1887. It
was one of the first buildings in the country to be erected
with only masonry and metal; wood was used solely for
door and window frames and flooring.
By January of 1885, in response to this tragic loss, E.A.
Birge had already begun purchasing natural science and
anatomical specimens and wall charts, models, books,
and equipment for installation in the new Science Hall.
His accounting catalog of specimens, equipment, and
books purchased from 1885 through 1899 remains a part
of the Zoological Museum archive. In this catalog of
purchases, biological books (most from the German dealer
Friedlander) were obtained to be used with the collections
32 | LIBRARIES Fall 2018
and laboratories. Many,
however, were transferred
to the University Library for
general student use.
George Wagner, an
early Curator, attempted
to elevate the collections
to the status of “State
Museum” through his
work on the Wisconsin
Geological and Natural
History Survey. Wagner
was hired in 1903 to
teach general zoology,
comparative anatomy of
vertebrates, invertebrate zoology, and animal behavior. He
introduced courses in heredity, bionomics (now known
as ecology), and ornithology. Wagner, as collections
curator, systematically catalogued 13,000 specimens with
appropriate accompanying data between 1905 and 1940.
Meanwhile, the natural science collections had become
separated and were adjuncts to the departments of Zoology,
Botany, and Geology. In 1912, the collections were yet again
relocated into the “new biology” building, later named Birge
Hall and in 1971, the Zoological Museum was moved to the
Lowell Noland Zoology Building, where it remains today.
Despite the sad loss of the very first museum specimens in
the Science Hall fire, the University of Wisconsin Zoological
Museum has reacquired specimens that date back to the
1840s. The museum now has about 750,000 specimens and
historic objects. The museum library, supplementing the
research and teaching collections, is home to about 3,000
volumes and similar numbers of monographs and reprints.
In the present connection, the museum also houses the
collection of zoological instructional materials retained
from classrooms and laboratories back to the early
1900s. Birge and others provided by purchase over time,
instructional models and many wall charts. The beautiful
and now rare glass models of invertebrates made by the
German glassmakers Blashka and Son were purchased and
used by Birge from 1890 and were proudly displayed in the
laboratory for many years thereafter. The wall charts, which
lined the walls of the biological classroom in Science Hall,
were the instructional equivalent of the photographic slide
show. The museum houses nearly 300 of these historic
lithographed biological wall charts, acquisition of which
began at the time of the Science Hall fire. With a century
of nearly constant laboratory use, these instructional
charts have deteriorated and need the attention of trained
conservators. (See present condition of the Gorilla chart,
also to be seen in better shape on the wall of the early
20th century Science Hall classroom). In perfecting storage
for this collection, each chart in the collection has been
carefully evaluated for condition problems and need for
conservative repair. The objective is to stabilize each
specimen against further decline, with photographic
documentation of treatment.
The Zoological Museum Library applied for 2018 cost-
sharing funding from the Friends of the UW–Madison
Libraries to be used in partial support of an initial
program of stabilization and conservation of the wall
chart collection. Using four charts of priority, with various
states of damage, the UW library conservation team is
undertaking the cleaning, repair for stabilization, and
encapsulation that will properly care for the specimens and
also will provide realistic figures for the cost of the time-
consuming procedures. Thus, the Zoological Museum can
prepare a well-grounded estimate in applying for outside
funding for the conservation treatment of the entire
collection.
As a future effort, it is the intent to provide
photographically perfected images of the more important
and rare charts, which may then be produced for use in
current high school or college classrooms. It should be
emphasized that conservation techniques of preservation
will not produce as pristine an image as Photoshop.
The Zoological Museum and its Library are most grateful
to the Friends of the UW Libraries for initial treatment
support for these historical artifacts of natural science
instruction at the University of Wisconsin.
All photos: Wisconsin Zoological Museum.
University of Wisconsin–Madison | 33