Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection  Solved

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Thule
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Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection

Post by Thule »

I'm trying to track down the whereabouts of photographic plates, notes, treatises, slides and photos compiled by Arthur Cobbold whilst he was curator of Charles Darrah's collection of cacti and succulents both before and after its being gifted to Manchester Corporation in the early 20th century. (The collection was deemed at the time to be at least as important as that at Kew). I've found a reference in Leighton-Boyce & Iliffe's 'The subgenus tephrocactus...' (1973) which states that the photographic plates, notes etc were donated by AC's son to the Cactus and Succulent Society of GB, possibly in the late 1960s, but the trail has since grown cold. I wonder, does anyone know where they are now? I'll be delighted if someone can help.
Thank you
Tolly
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Re: Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection

Post by Peter B »

Hallo Tolly,

As a peson who has had a lot to do with the Darrah collection, or rather what survives of it after the dreadful treatment by Manchester City Council since the 1960's, in the last 15 years I wish I could report something that would help you be successful. I have researched everywhere I can think of, Manchester Library, the Council Archives and Manchester Evening News without a shred of success. Everyone looks at you as though you are insane when you question them. I don't even know who might have taken possession of them in the first place once the collection became the property of the Council.

I don't know whether you have been able to track down any family relatives and I certainly don't know of any. All I do have of the collection is the catalogue produced in 1908 when Robert Lamb was the Superintendent of Parks. It purports to be a complete listing of the collection in the specially built greenhouses which were split into five sections to house the different groups of plants, mainly cacti, but with Euphorbiaceae, Fouquieria, Haworthia, Gasteria, Aloe and Agave with some representation of other succulent families and also Insectivorous plants.

I am sorry not to have been of more help.

Peter B Manchester Branch
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Thule

Re: Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection

Post by Thule »

Hello Peter, Thank you so much for leaping into action so rapidly. It is, in fact, AC's family a couple of generations on who are keen to track down his written and photographic stuff, in order to document as fully as possible his working life (he was previously at Sion Park and various other estates during which period he maintained a detailed daily diary of his work, and I believe whilst at Alex Park he also contributed a daily horticultural column to a Manchester newspaper for over 30 years). So the knowledge of the existence of these photos, plates and notebooks etc are from the family itself, not only just the footnote i found in L-B & Iliffe's book.
The problem is I'm not even sure that the C&S photos and notes would have ended up in Manchester (even though the rump of the Darrah C&S collection was still there), as AC's son was living in the south when they came into his hands after AC died. Apart from the footnote in L-B & Iliffe's book, the only other clue I have is I think in the CSS Journal of GB for 1969, which if I recall mentions that a committee would be considering what best to do with the gift. (I'm not in a position nowadays to doublecheck that info, alas). However, as the L-B & Iliffe book was published after that date, I would imagine that the society did indeed accept the collection. But am I right in thinking that the society has merged (or something) since the late 1960s?
As for the 1908 catalogue of the Darrah collection. His son recalled that it rankled with AC that he was not credited on the tp with its compilation, whereas the entire Parks Cttee seemed to be... I imagine the catalogue might well have reflected the extent of the collection at that time; contemporary newspaper reports point to its having further expanded through exchange etc under AC's curatorship whilst at Alexandra Park.
I do hope someone can shed light on the mystery. Thank you again for what you have already done.
Tolly
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Re: Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection

Post by Phil_SK »

Tolly,
There was an article in our journal CactusWorld in 2006 (vol24 no2, p65-69) by John Hughes called "The Darrah Collection". It includes some photos (one from 1900, four from 1908 and one from 1932) sourced from several different places. Mr Cobbold is mentioned but only in passing. One of the bibliographic references is to his 1908 "Collection of cacti Alexandra Park presented by the widow and family of the late Charles Darrah of Manchester" which is billed as a checklist of 1350 species and 8 photos of the collection.

Are you aware of this article?
Phil Crewe, BCSS 38143. Mostly S. American cacti, esp. Lobivia, Sulcorebutia and little Opuntia
Thule

Re: Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection  Solved

Post by Thule »

Thanks Phil - yes, I bought a copy of the article a while back in the hope that I might find another tantalising footnote pointing to the location of the photos, notebooks etc, but alas no joy.
Tolly
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Re: Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection

Post by ajm389 »

Have you approached Roy Bee (I assume he is still alive),the former head of parks and cemetaries dept. in Manchester.

Anthony Morris
Thule

Re: Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection

Post by Thule »

Thanks for the suggestion Anthony. I'll try to track Mr Bee down. I really am glad of any straws to grasp at as after reading on the BCSS website about the chequered history of the various C&S societies in the 20th cent I am even more in the dark as to where AC's photos and notebooks might have ultimately ended up. I've today re-found the snippet via Google books from the journal of the Cactus and Succulent Society of GB (I'm not even sure which year but probably ca 1969), and that confirms my impression that the Society was the initial recipient of the gift; the paragraph (on p 93?) reporting the gift ends with 'These are of great interest and their future in the society will shortly be considered by Council'....
Peter B if you're still following this thread, I have a transcription of an article on the gift of the Darrah Collection to Manchester Corp (and the latter's reaction, which might strike the odd chord) which appeared in the Daily Dispatch of 1904. You may well have come across it already, but if not I'll be delighted to send you a copy by some means or other.
Tolly
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Re: Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection

Post by Peter B »

Hallo Tolly,

Just gone back into the thread for the first time since posting my original answer. I would indeed be interested in reading the article from the GB journal. I have to admit the information about the collection being bequested to the GB Society is definitely news to me. Whilst the Council's treatment of the collection under Arthur Cobbold and later under Harry Hall's curatorship was excellent, later management was dire and perhaps the GB Society's decision to pass it on to Manchester Council was not the best. However, hindsight is a marvellous tool.

I am glad to know that future generations of the Cobbold family are so interested in knowing more. I would likewise be very interested in a much fuller picture of the collection myself as it has become a bit of a crusade with me.

I replied to the article in Cactus World in 2006 but it was not printed for 18months after the original appeared and, whilst the original was accorded a space in the main part of the journal, my reply was both edited/abridged and consigned to the newsletter section of the copy into which it eventually went. It may well be that the writer of the original article never realised there had been a reply.

Please keep me apprised of your search successes/failures.

Peter B Manchester Branch
Peter B,
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NCSS/BCSS member since late 1960's - strong interest in mesembs in general and Lithops in particular, Haworthias and enjoy growing all forms of cacti & succulents
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Re: Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection

Post by Pete A »

I visited Gordon Rowley today and asked him if he had anything about or from the Darrah collection.

He has a few items that may be of interest. I took photo's using my phone so the quality is not great, but they are readable.
Gordon's personal notes
Gordon's personal notes
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Re: Arthur Cobbold curator to the Charles Darrah collection

Post by Pete A »

This is a bunch of typed notes and photo's from the collection, given to Gordon when they were having a clear-out. Gordon had them bound together.
IMAG0578a.jpg
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