‘THIS EVER NEW SELF: THOREAU and HIS JOURNAL’ see: ‘THIS EVER NEW SELF’ – EXHIBITION NOTES & IMAGES \/ MORGAN LIBRARY<\/a><\/p>\n Specimens of Lupinus perennis<\/em> (wild lupine) and Lilium canadense <\/em>(Canada Lily), collected by Henry D Thoreau, ca. 1853-57. (36-37 yrs old) I soon found myself observing when plants first blossomed & leafed -& I followed it up early & late – far & near several years in succession – running to different sides of the town & into the neighboring towns often between 20 & 30 miles a day. I often visited a particular plant 4 or 5 miles distant half a dozen times within a fortnight, that I might know exactly when it opened – beside attending to a great many others in different directions & some of them equally distant….” HENRY DAVID THOREAU – THE WOODS BURNER, over 300 ACRES !! from: ‘HENRY DAVID THOREAU – THE WOODS BURNER’ \/ HISTORY of MASSACHUSETTS BLOG “On April 30, 1844 HENRY DAVID THOREAU (27 yrs) accidentally started a MAJOR<\/strong> FOREST FIRE in the Concord Woods after a (lunch time \/ grilled fish !!) campfire got out of control. The fire burned 300 acres<\/strong> of forest and almost<\/strong> set the town of Concord ablaze. (!!) <\/p>\n Residents of the town were angry<\/strong> at Thoreau for not only damaging personal property in the fire but also for burning some of the last remaining untouched woodland<\/strong> in an area that had been devastated by deforestation<\/strong> brought on by the industrial revolution.<\/p>\n As Thoreau stated in his journal (6 years later !!) the residents continued to taunt him, (calling him) . . ‘WOODS BURNER’ wherever he went.”<\/p>\n source: ‘THOREAU: WOODS BURNER’ – HISTORY of MASSACHUSETTS BLOG<\/a><\/p>\n SO .. flash forward, HENRY DAVID THOREAU – was a complicated guy, for all they try to make him out to be so . . simple. homespun. it’s hard to imagine having to walk that line of having set a major forest fire, and being derided in town, with the man who wrote so lovingly about conservation & nature. let alone giving fairy land ‘tours’ to the town’s children !! some suggest that’s why he retreated to Walden.<\/p>\n that he was arrogant<\/strong> and, hard to deal with – is obvious in the long journal entry of May 31, 1850 – where he recounts the day – and his feelings & where . . he so FAMOUSLY, explained why he didn’t feel any remorse<\/strong> !!!!!!<\/p>\n
\nJUNE 2 – SEPT 10, 2017
\nMORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/THOREAU-nature-study.jpg\")
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\n‘THOREAU’S HERBARIUM’
\nEXHIBITION NOTES:
\n‘Like many nineteenth-century nature enthusiasts, Thoreau had a plant press<\/strong> and collected specimens on his daily walks. He shared this passion with his sister Sophia and his brother, John. But Thoreau’s practice was more than casual. He assembled nearly a thousand <\/strong> specimens, most from around the Concord area, and meticulously logged his findings in his journals. Though not a trained botanist, he educated himself through extensive reading. He paid particular attention to the works of pioneering Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus, whose system of plant taxonomy Thoreau found not only useful but downright poetic<\/strong>.’<\/p>\n
\nGray Herbarium of Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/THOREAUs-HERBARIUM-single-stem.jpg\")
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\nEXHIBITION NOTE:
\n“About half a dozen years ago – I found myself again attending to plants with more method<\/strong> – looking out the name of each one & remembering it. I began to bring them home in my hat, a straw one with a scaffold<\/strong> lining to it – which I called my botany box. I never used any other, & when some whom I visited were evidently surprised at its dilapi(da)ted look – I assured them it was not so much my hat as my botany box….<\/p>\n
\nHENRY D. THOREAU ~ 4 December 1856 (39 yrs old)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Thoreaus-herbarium-close-up-.jpg\")
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\nTHIS WAS NOT<\/strong> – TOUCHED UPON IN THIS EXHIBIT \/ AS FAR AS I OBSERVED.<\/p>\n
\nREBECCA BEATRICE BROOKS, AUGUST 14, 2012<\/p>\n
\nit would be like having protestors following you around, today.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.artloversnewyork.com\/zine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/THOREAU-HERBARIUM-detail.jpg\")
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\nI also gathered from my internet readings, that he was also rough & had a seemingly ‘unsocial’ character in many ways, esp with people he had no interest in, or time for.
\nthe way \/ many natural-born<\/strong> artists, are still . . today.<\/p>\n
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