It was through his research into Clarence Bicknell that Graham Avery, the Vice-Chairman of the Clarence Bicknell Association, became interested in Fritz Mader. Fritz Mader (1872-1921) alpinist, geologist, botanist, glaciologist, speleologist and photographer, was the son of the pastor of the German-speaking church in Nice. He was educated at a French Lycée in Nice, at […]
Fritz Mader, Pioneer of Natural History – by Graham Avery Read More »
By Graham Avery The Swiss botanist Henry Correvon visited Clarence Bicknell at his summer home Casa Fontanalba in Casterino on 16 July 1914, and signed his name in the Casa Fontanalba Visitors’ Book. I have recently discovered a description by Correvon of his visit. Henry Correvon (1854 -1939) was a horticulturalist, botanist, and member of
Henry Correvon at Casa Fontanalba, 16 July 1914 Read More »
A decorative floral design by Clarence Bicknell from his Book of Guests in Esperanto. Here he plays tribute to one of his best friends and helpers; “Luigi Pollini was for many years and still is my factotum, but particularly for my botanical interests. He helped me collect plants in Italy, France, Switzerland, Spain, and also
Aquilegia atrata in Clarence’s Book of Guests in Esperanto Read More »
Our website and Facebook posting about the identity of Luigi Pollini (https://clarencebicknell.com/cima-pollini-who-was-pollini/) has triggered further input on the subject from readers. Most informative is this from Luca Barale, Researcher for the National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, in Turino. He writes to us on 15 November 2021… “I hope this
Naming of Cima Pollini Read More »
Clarence Bicknell’s painting is from his Book of Guests in Esperanto opposite the entry for Capi, his niece Nora’s dog. Clarence Bicknell wrote a page in Esperanto about each visitor and decorated the page with a botanical drawing, often developing the guest’s initial into a monogram. The words translated read… “Capi, my niece Nora’s black
Watercolour drawing of Water Avens by Clarence Bicknell Read More »
The Children’s Picture Book of Wild Plants of 1908 is one of Clarence’s best illustrated albums, all of them bound in vellum (kid’s leather) and provided empty by his niece Margaret Berry. Clarence introduces it “This is a Children’s Picture-Book; the Babes who cannot read may look upon the right-hand Pages; while on the left
Lathyrus pratensis in Clarence’s book for children Read More »
The family Bottacco and Clarence Bicknell – how did they know each other? Rhea Bottacca Sanseverino, her husband Leopoldo Bottacco and their daughter Rita Bottacco Edoardo Fumio of Florence contacted us on 6th April 2021 to ask for the original pictures from the “Clarence Bicknell’s Casa Fontanalba Visitors’ Book” which showed the entries in the
The family Bottacco and Clarence Bicknell Read More »
The Ancient King, l’Antico Re, was the name used by Clarence Bicknell and other botanists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for Saxifraga florulenta. Botanists and enthusiasts have always spent many patient hours in search of this rarity, and forever will. It is wonderful and exciting to find it in bloom. Read the
The Ancient King, Saxifraga florulenta Read More »
I received today a copy of an interesting photo of Clarence Bicknell. It was sent by Dr. Andrea De Pascale, PhD, Conservatore del Museo Archeologico del Finale, Istituto Internazionale di Studi Liguri (IISL), a sister museum of the Museo Bicknell. Andrea’s contact details are at the bottom of this page. The photo was acquired by
Photo of Clarence in 1883 in Finalmarina; what does it tell us? Read More »
We show three of Clarence’s images of the Martagon Lily here. Firstly in the Casa Fontanalba Visitors’ Book (Bicknell Collection) which he drew in 1906; every right hand page has a glorious watercolour of a wild plant, here Martagon Lily, and guests signed on the left when visiting his summer home in Casterino in the
Clarence Bicknell and the Martagon Lily; luxurious brightness Read More »
