Romeyn Beck Hough[pronunciation?] (1857–1924) was an American physician and botanist best known for creating The American Woods, a 14-volume collection of wood samples from across North America.
c. 1916 photograph of Romeyn Beck Hough displaying sections from American Woods. Behind are magic lantern slides.
Sugar maple from The American Woods containing (from top to bottom) transverse, radial and tangential sections. The image on the right shows light passing through the specimen, which allows examination of fine structures with a microscope.
Hough acquired an interest in forestry and natural history from his father, Franklin B. Hough, a physician and botanist, who spent much time with his son in the outdoors. He attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and studied medicine, later qualifying as a physician like his father. His passion however, was for botany.[1]
Hough developed a specialized veneer cutter capable of slicing wood to a thickness of 1⁄1200 inch (0.021 mm). He started a business cutting and printing flexible, translucent wooden cards "for all fancy and business purposes", and also sold magic lantern and microscope slides made from the thinnest transverse sections.[2][3]
After seeing German botanist Herman von Nördlinger's volumes of European tree cross-sections, Hough was inspired to make his own representing "all of the American woods, or at least the most important".[2] Between 1888 and 1913, Hough published thirteen volumes of The American Woods: exhibited by actual specimens and with copious explanatory text, a collection of wood samples from North American trees, presented as paper-thin cross-sectional slices.[4] To each tree he dedicated a cardboard plate which contained three slices—transverse, radial, and tangential—of the wood, accompanied by information about its botany, habitat and medicinal and commercial uses.[5]
The first volume of American Woods, focusing upon trees of Hough's native New York, was available by subscription for five dollars.[2] Hough had originally planned to publish fifteen volumes, which would include samples of all of the important trees found in North America, but he died in 1924 before the full set was completed. A final, fourteenth volume was published in 1928 using samples and notes made by Hough that were compiled by his daughter, Marjorie Galloway Hough.[4] In total, each volume contained at least 25 plates and the complete 14-volume collection comprises 1,056 slices representing 354 tree species.[4]
For antiquarian booksellers American Woods is "one of the most sought-after sets of the 20th century". In 2000 art auction house Christie's sold a complete set for $92,100.[4]
^US Pat. 335703 Patent application for "Wooden card for business and other purposes" Feb 9, 1886
^ abcdefLyons, Tierney (Summer 2011). "American Woods: Conservation of a Unique Item". Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship. doi:10.5062/F4TD9V7K.
^Pigza, Jessica (March 12, 2012). "Hough's American Woods". New York Public Library. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
^"For the love of trees". Taschen. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
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Romeyn Beck Hough pronunciation 1857 1924 was an American physician and botanist best known for creating The American Woods a 14 volume collection of wood samples from across North America c 1916 photograph of Romeyn Beck Hough displaying sections from American Woods Behind are magic lantern slides Contents 1 Life and work 2 Recognition 3 Bibliography 4 References 5 External linksLife and work Edit Sugar maple from The American Woods containing from top to bottom transverse radial and tangential sections The image on the right shows light passing through the specimen which allows examination of fine structures with a microscope Hough acquired an interest in forestry and natural history from his father Franklin B Hough a physician and botanist who spent much time with his son in the outdoors He attended Cornell University in Ithaca New York and studied medicine later qualifying as a physician like his father His passion however was for botany 1 Hough developed a specialized veneer cutter capable of slicing wood to a thickness of 1 1200 inch 0 021 mm He started a business cutting and printing flexible translucent wooden cards for all fancy and business purposes and also sold magic lantern and microscope slides made from the thinnest transverse sections 2 3 After seeing German botanist Herman von Nordlinger s volumes of European tree cross sections Hough was inspired to make his own representing all of the American woods or at least the most important 2 Between 1888 and 1913 Hough published thirteen volumes of The American Woods exhibited by actual specimens and with copious explanatory text a collection of wood samples from North American trees presented as paper thin cross sectional slices 4 To each tree he dedicated a cardboard plate which contained three slices transverse radial and tangential of the wood accompanied by information about its botany habitat and medicinal and commercial uses 5 The first volume of American Woods focusing upon trees of Hough s native New York was available by subscription for five dollars 2 Hough had originally planned to publish fifteen volumes which would include samples of all of the important trees found in North America but he died in 1924 before the full set was completed A final fourteenth volume was published in 1928 using samples and notes made by Hough that were compiled by his daughter Marjorie Galloway Hough 4 In total each volume contained at least 25 plates and the complete 14 volume collection comprises 1 056 slices representing 354 tree species 4 Recognition EditHough s botanical work was widely acclaimed in his time In 1908 he won the Elliott Cresson Gold Medal for his contribution to the understanding and uses of American woods and American Woods won the top prizes at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris the 1893 World s Columbian Exposition in Chicago the 1901 Pan American Exposition in Buffalo the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St Louis and the 1909 Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition in Seattle 4 Reviews of American Woods described it as one of the most valuable contributions to the literature of forestry and absolutely without rival 4 In 2002 it was republished by Taschen under the title The Woodbook compiled by Klaus Ulrich Leistikow including a selection of lithographs of some trees leaves and berries by Charles Sprague Sargent 6 For antiquarian booksellers American Woods is one of the most sought after sets of the 20th century In 2000 art auction house Christie s sold a complete set for 92 100 4 Bibliography Edit Quercus rubra from The American Woods Digitized copies of Hough s work are available at archive org Handbook of the trees of the northern states and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains photo descriptive 1907 The American Woods exhibited by actual specimens and with copious explanatory textVol 1 1888 Vol 2 1891 Vol 3 1892 Vol 4 1894 Vol 5 1894 Vol 6 1895 Vol 7 1897 Vol 8 1899 Vol 9 1903 Vol 10 1910 Vol 11 1910 Vol 12 1911 Vol 13 1913 The standard author abbreviation Hough is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name 7 References Edit Trelease William 1924 Romeyn Beck Hough 1857 1924 Science 60 1557 397 398 Bibcode 1924Sci 60 397T doi 10 1126 science 60 1557 397 JSTOR 1650660 PMID 17750733 a b c Codex 99 US Pat 335703 Patent application for Wooden card for business and other purposes Feb 9 1886 a b c d e f Lyons Tierney Summer 2011 American Woods Conservation of a Unique Item Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship doi 10 5062 F4TD9V7K Pigza Jessica March 12 2012 Hough s American Woods New York Public Library Retrieved October 26 2014 For the love of trees Taschen Retrieved October 26 2014 International Plant Names Index Hough External links EditStevenson Brian Romeyn Beck Hough 1857 1924 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Romeyn Beck Hough amp oldid 1096244599, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
