The interest in our recently-published reproduction of Clarence Bicknell’s “Book of Guests in Esperanto” continues to throw up interesting snippets of detail. Graham Avery has been writing notes on all the famous botanists who visited the Casa Fontanalba; many of them were honoured with an entry in the “Book of Guests in Esperanto”.
Of a certain C. Werner (Entry in the Book of Guests in Esperanto No. 23, 1906; “‘C. Werner, friend of Dr Mader, who came with him to visit us’”) Graham’s draft said “I have not been able to identify this person, who signed the Visitors’ Book on 16 September 1906 as ‘C. Werner’. He is described as ‘K. Werner’ in Mader’s account of their excursion on 17 September 1906.”
This I took as a gauntlet laid down and I disappeared into the World Wide Web of half-truths, hint, facts and fables for an hour or two. I determined that it is not impossible that “C.Werner” is Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Werner, son of the famous watercolourist with a similar name Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner (1808–1894), and a friend of Fritz Mader by family, school or university. If Werner Junior had any of his father’s skills and interests, he would welcome a trip to the Mediterranean alps to stay in Mader’s father’s house in Tende and walk the hills. As Bicknell was a good watercolourist, Mader would be keen to introduce Werner Junior to him. They would have shared stories about Werner Senior and maybe showed Bicknell some of the father’s work. The topic of Werner Senior’s painting trips to Egypt in 1862 and 1864 might have come up in conversation as Bicknell had been up the Nile in 1889/1890.
Graham honoured me in turn with “I must say I’m impressed by your note on Werner!”
Further notes on C. Werner who visited Clarence Bicknell in 1906 (Marcus Bicknell 18 August 2022)
Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner (German, 1808–1894) (Carl Werner)
Description German painter and university teacher
Date of birth/death 4 October 1808 Weimar – 10 January 1894 Leipzig
Biographical details on the internet show Werner Senior was married twice but I find no biographical detail of children. However a family tree on www.ancestry.com shows a son Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Werner born 1873 in Hasselburg. He was married in 1905 age 32. If it was he who visited Clarence in 1906 he would have been 33 years old.
Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Werner from tree St. Gehrke Familienstammbaum
Birth 23 May 1873 Germany probably Hasselburg
Marriage 11 Jul 1905 Lübtheen, Ludwigslust-Parchim, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Father Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner
Spouse Lisbeth Justine Johanna Marie Schwabe (Born 1882)
Fritz Mader (1872-1921), with whom C. Werner came to the Casa Fontanalba, was 34 years old in 1906; a similar age to Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Werner (Werner Junior).
Scenario: it is not impossible that “C.Werner” is Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Werner, son of the famous watercolourist with a similar name Carl Friedrich Heinrich Werner (1808–1894), and a friend of Fritz Mader by family, school or university. If Werner Junior had any of his father’s skills and interests, he would welcome a trip to the Mediterranean alps to stay in Mader’s father’s house in Tende and walk the hills. As Bicknell was a good watercolourist, Mader would be keen to introduce Werner Junior to him. They would have shared stories about Werner Senior and maybe showed Bicknell some of the father’s work. The topic of Werner Senior’s painting trips to Egypt in 1862 and 1864 might have come up in conversation as Bicknell had been up the Nile in 1889/1890.
Another similar name, discounted by MB :
(Friedrich Karl Heinrich Werner born 11 Nov.1890 • Geestemünde, Bremerhaven, Bremen, Deutschland, son of Carl Heinrich Friedrich Werner born 1865 XXX)