Mary Morris Vaux Walcott (July 31, 1860 – August 22, 1940) was an American artist and naturalist known for her watercolor paintings of wildflowers. She has been called the "Audubon of Botany."[1]
Mary Vaux Walcott, 1914Painting of Balsamorhiza sagittata (arrowleaf balsamroot) by Walcott
Vaux[a] was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a wealthy Quaker family. After graduating from the Friends Select School in Philadelphia in 1879, she took an interest in watercolor painting. When she was not working on the family farm, she began painting illustrations of wildflowers that she saw on family trips to the Rocky Mountains in Canada.[3] During these summer trips, she and her brothers studied mineralogy and recorded the flow of glaciers in drawings and photographs.[4] The trips to the Canadian Rockies sparked her interest in geology.[3]
In 1880, her mother died and at 19 years old Vaux took on the responsibility of caring for her father and two younger brothers.[5] After 1887, she and her brothers went back to western Canada almost every summer. During this time she became an active mountain climber, outdoors woman, and photographer. Asked one summer to paint a rare blooming arnica by a botanist, she was encouraged to concentrate on botanical illustration.[4] She spent many years exploring the rugged terrain of the Canadian Rockies to find important flowering species to paint. On these trips, Vaux became the first woman to accomplish the over 10,000 feet ascent of Mount Stephen.[6] In 1887, on her first transcontinental trip via rail, she wrote an engaging travel journal of the family's four-month trek through the American West and the Canadian Rockies.[7]
Over her father's fierce objections, in 1914 Mary Vaux, then 54, married the paleontologist Charles Doolittle Walcott, a widower who was the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. She played an active part in her husband's projects, returning to the Rockies with him several times and continuing to paint wildflowers. In 1925, the Smithsonian published some 400 of her illustrations, accompanied by brief descriptions, in a five-volume work entitled North American Wild Flowers, the proceeds of which went to the Smithsonian's endowment.[8][9] In Washington, Vaux became a close friend of First Lady Lou Henry Hoover[5] and raised money to erect the Florida Avenue Meeting House, so that the first Quaker President and his wife would have a proper place to worship. From 1927 to 1932, Mary Vaux Walcott served on the federal Board of Indian Commissioners and, driven by her chauffeur, traveled extensively throughout the American West, diligently visiting reservations.
When she was 75, she made her first trip abroad to Japan to visit lifelong friend and fellow Philadelphia Quaker, Mary Elkinton Nitobe, who had married Japanese diplomat Inazo Nitobe.
She was elected president of the Society of Woman Geographers in 1933. In 1935, the Smithsonian published Illustrations of North American Pitcher-Plants, which included 15 paintings by Walcott. Following the death of her husband in 1927, Walcott established the Charles Doolittle Walcott Medal in his honor. It is awarded for scientific work on pre-Cambrian and Cambrian life and history. Walcott died in St. Andrews, New Brunswick in 1940.[3]
In her own wordsEdit
On field photography:
"A camera is a very delightful adjunct, for it is pleasant to have some tangible results to show, on your return home. A Kodak, if no larger instrument can be managed, yields most satisfactory results, although the better records from a larger-sized camera are an increased delight, when one has the patience and skill to obtain them. For changing plates in camp, an improvised tepee can be made of the blankets, and, if this is done after sundown, is quite satisfactory." - Vaux, writing in "Camping in the Canadian Rockies" in the Canadian Alpine Journal[10]
On measuring glaciers:
""The glaciers must be measured, and I shall hope to use the camera seriously, and get all I can. Last summer's work was such a disappointment in photographic results." -Mary Vaux Walcott, Letters to Charles Walcott, April 1, 1912.[11]
On the outdoors:
"Sometimes I feel that I can hardly wait till the time comes to escape from city life, to the free air of the everlasting hills." -Mary Vaux Walcott, Letters to Charles Walcott, Feb 19, 1912.[11]
LegacyEdit
Upon her death in 1940, Mary Vaux Walcott bequeathed $400,000 to the Smithsonian Institution as an addition to the fund she and her husband, Charles Walcott, created for geological research and publication.[12]
^Jones, Marjorie G. (2016). The Life and Times of Mary Vaux Walcott. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Press. ISBN9780764349720.
^Mary-Beth Laviolette (2012). A Delicate Art: Artists, Wildflowers and Native Plants of the West. Rocky Mountain Books Ltd. pp. 39–. ISBN978-1-927330-05-0.
^ abcd"Mary Vaux Walcott". Harvard Forest. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
^ ab"Mary Vaux Walcott". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
^ abJones, Marjorie G. (Spring 2014). "The Joy of Sympathetic Companionship: The Correspondence of Mary Vaux Walcott & First Lady Lou Henry Hoover". Quaker History. 103 (1): 36–52. doi:10.1353/qkh.2014.0000. S2CID 162284047.
^"VAUX, Mary Morris (Walcott)". Canadian Women Artists Database. June 16, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
^Jones, Marjorie G. (Spring 2011). "Bowling Along: Early Travel Adventures of Mary Morris Vaux". Quaker History. 100 (1): 22–39. doi:10.1353/qkh.2011.0006. S2CID 162635806.
^"Mary Vaux Walcott | Smithsonian American Art Museum". americanart.si.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
^Vaux, Mary M. (1907). "Camping in the Canadian Rockies". Canadian Alpine Journal. 1: 67–71.
^ abWalcott, Mary Vaux. Letters to Charles Walcott. Published at http://burgess-shale.rom.on.ca/en/history/context/03-mary.php. Accessed October 10, 2017.
Picture Journal including photographs of and by Mary Vaux
Encyclopædia Britannica entry for Mary Morris Vaux Walcott
Images of paintings from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
Public profile of Mary Vaux Walcott at Bionomia, linking to specimens she identified or collected, and work she enabled
October 18, 2023
mary, vaux, walcott, mary, morris, vaux, walcott, july, 1860, august, 1940, american, artist, naturalist, known, watercolor, paintings, wildflowers, been, called, audubon, botany, bornmary, morris, vauxjuly, 1860philadelphia, pennsylvania, diedaugust, 1940, 19. Mary Morris Vaux Walcott July 31 1860 August 22 1940 was an American artist and naturalist known for her watercolor paintings of wildflowers She has been called the Audubon of Botany 1 Mary Vaux WalcottBornMary Morris VauxJuly 31 1860Philadelphia Pennsylvania U S DiedAugust 22 1940 1940 08 23 aged 80 Saint Andrews New BrunswickNationalityAmericanScientific careerFieldsBotany GeologyInstitutionsSmithsonian InstitutionAuthor abbrev botany M Walcott Contents 1 Life 2 In her own words 3 Legacy 4 Selected works 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksLife Edit nbsp Mary Vaux Walcott 1914 nbsp Painting of Balsamorhiza sagittata arrowleaf balsamroot by WalcottVaux a was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania to a wealthy Quaker family After graduating from the Friends Select School in Philadelphia in 1879 she took an interest in watercolor painting When she was not working on the family farm she began painting illustrations of wildflowers that she saw on family trips to the Rocky Mountains in Canada 3 During these summer trips she and her brothers studied mineralogy and recorded the flow of glaciers in drawings and photographs 4 The trips to the Canadian Rockies sparked her interest in geology 3 In 1880 her mother died and at 19 years old Vaux took on the responsibility of caring for her father and two younger brothers 5 After 1887 she and her brothers went back to western Canada almost every summer During this time she became an active mountain climber outdoors woman and photographer Asked one summer to paint a rare blooming arnica by a botanist she was encouraged to concentrate on botanical illustration 4 She spent many years exploring the rugged terrain of the Canadian Rockies to find important flowering species to paint On these trips Vaux became the first woman to accomplish the over 10 000 feet ascent of Mount Stephen 6 In 1887 on her first transcontinental trip via rail she wrote an engaging travel journal of the family s four month trek through the American West and the Canadian Rockies 7 Over her father s fierce objections in 1914 Mary Vaux then 54 married the paleontologist Charles Doolittle Walcott a widower who was the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution She played an active part in her husband s projects returning to the Rockies with him several times and continuing to paint wildflowers In 1925 the Smithsonian published some 400 of her illustrations accompanied by brief descriptions in a five volume work entitled North American Wild Flowers the proceeds of which went to the Smithsonian s endowment 8 9 In Washington Vaux became a close friend of First Lady Lou Henry Hoover 5 and raised money to erect the Florida Avenue Meeting House so that the first Quaker President and his wife would have a proper place to worship From 1927 to 1932 Mary Vaux Walcott served on the federal Board of Indian Commissioners and driven by her chauffeur traveled extensively throughout the American West diligently visiting reservations When she was 75 she made her first trip abroad to Japan to visit lifelong friend and fellow Philadelphia Quaker Mary Elkinton Nitobe who had married Japanese diplomat Inazo Nitobe She was elected president of the Society of Woman Geographers in 1933 In 1935 the Smithsonian published Illustrations of North American Pitcher Plants which included 15 paintings by Walcott Following the death of her husband in 1927 Walcott established the Charles Doolittle Walcott Medal in his honor It is awarded for scientific work on pre Cambrian and Cambrian life and history Walcott died in St Andrews New Brunswick in 1940 3 In her own words EditOn field photography A camera is a very delightful adjunct for it is pleasant to have some tangible results to show on your return home A Kodak if no larger instrument can be managed yields most satisfactory results although the better records from a larger sized camera are an increased delight when one has the patience and skill to obtain them For changing plates in camp an improvised tepee can be made of the blankets and if this is done after sundown is quite satisfactory Vaux writing in Camping in the Canadian Rockies in the Canadian Alpine Journal 10 On measuring glaciers The glaciers must be measured and I shall hope to use the camera seriously and get all I can Last summer s work was such a disappointment in photographic results Mary Vaux Walcott Letters to Charles Walcott April 1 1912 11 On the outdoors Sometimes I feel that I can hardly wait till the time comes to escape from city life to the free air of the everlasting hills Mary Vaux Walcott Letters to Charles Walcott Feb 19 1912 11 Legacy EditUpon her death in 1940 Mary Vaux Walcott bequeathed 400 000 to the Smithsonian Institution as an addition to the fund she and her husband Charles Walcott created for geological research and publication 12 A mountain called Mount Mary Vaux in Jasper National Park Alberta Canada is named after her It is located at 52 33 0 N 117 27 10 W 52 55000 N 117 45278 W 52 55000 117 45278 3 Mary Vaux shared interests similar to those of artist photographer writer and explorer Mary Schaffer and they were good friends 13 Selected works Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mary Vaux Walcott North American Wildflowers 5 vols pub by the Smithsonian Institution 1925 repub 1988 ISBN 0 517 64269 7 15 paintings in Illustrations of American Pitcherplants pub by the Smithsonian Institution 1935The standard author abbreviation M Walcott is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name 14 Notes Edit pronounced vox 2 References Edit Jones Marjorie G 2016 The Life and Times of Mary Vaux Walcott Atglen PA Schiffer Press ISBN 9780764349720 Mary Beth Laviolette 2012 A Delicate Art Artists Wildflowers and Native Plants of the West Rocky Mountain Books Ltd pp 39 ISBN 978 1 927330 05 0 a b c d Mary Vaux Walcott Harvard Forest Retrieved 30 January 2014 a b Mary Vaux Walcott Smithsonian American Art Museum Retrieved 30 January 2014 a b Jones Marjorie G Spring 2014 The Joy of Sympathetic Companionship The Correspondence of Mary Vaux Walcott amp First Lady Lou Henry Hoover Quaker History 103 1 36 52 doi 10 1353 qkh 2014 0000 S2CID 162284047 VAUX Mary Morris Walcott Canadian Women Artists Database June 16 2016 Retrieved March 3 2018 Jones Marjorie G Spring 2011 Bowling Along Early Travel Adventures of Mary Morris Vaux Quaker History 100 1 22 39 doi 10 1353 qkh 2011 0006 S2CID 162635806 Mary Vaux Walcott Smithsonian American Art Museum americanart si edu Retrieved 2021 03 25 Henson Pamela M 2015 03 26 Mary Vaux Walcott s Wild Flowers Smithsonian Institution Archives Retrieved 2021 03 25 Vaux Mary M 1907 Camping in the Canadian Rockies Canadian Alpine Journal 1 67 71 a b Walcott Mary Vaux Letters to Charles Walcott Published at http burgess shale rom on ca en history context 03 mary php Accessed October 10 2017 sysadmin 1940 Mary Vaux Walcott Leaves Bequest to SI Smithsonian Institution Archives Retrieved 2021 03 25 Beck Janice Sanford 2001 No Ordinary Woman The Story of Mary Schaffer Warren Rocky Mountain Books Ltd p 27 ISBN 978 0 921102 82 3 International Plant Names Index M Walcott External links EditWorks by or about Mary Vaux Walcott at Internet Archive Picture Journal including photographs of and by Mary Vaux Encyclopaedia Britannica entry for Mary Morris Vaux Walcott Mount Mary Vaux Images of paintings from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine Public profile of Mary Vaux Walcott at Bionomia linking to specimens she identified or collected and work she enabled Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mary Vaux Walcott amp oldid 1176054723, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
