Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1910 - 1972 (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent and medium
3 boxes, 47cm
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born in Edinburgh in 1891 to Robert and Marion Anthony, John Anthony attended George Heriot's School and Edinburgh University, reading Arts and Science. His studies were interrupted by the First World War, with him spending eight years in service in France, Italy (where he won a Military Cross in 1918[?]), Egypt and Palestine, resuming University life in 1923.
After graduating in 1924 he worked on a rubber plantation in Malaya for five years, before becoming an assistant lecturer in Botany at the University College in Dundee on his return in 1932. In 1934 he became a lecturer in Forest Botany (amongst other things) at the University of Edinburgh, and so began his career with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. He was a member of the teaching staff for 24 years, retiring in 1958. In his retirement he worked on producing a guide for indentifying trees, shrubs and undershrubs by their microscopic properties, and a Flora of Sutherland - the latter being published posthumously by the Botanical Society of Edinburgh [Scotland].
Repository
Archival history
We appear to have received the transcripts of Anthony's 'The Identification of British Trees, Shrubs and Under Shrubs by means of the Microscopic Structure of their Wood', including photographs, shortly after his death - it was something he'd been working on at the time, but never published. It was all bundled together in a tied folder, and was repackaged in 2015 to make it more secure.
The photo album was presumably received at the same time (c.1972) but had become separated from the transcripts and was not known to be Anthony's. This connection was realised in 2015 and the album reunited with the rest of Anthony's collection.
In 2017, a search of a cupboard in the archives revealed what turned out to be John Anthony's original manuscript for the Flora of Sutherland, possibly dating to 1970.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Presumably the Estate of John Anthony
Content and structure area
Scope and content
GB 235 ANT/1 - photo album including photographs of John Anthony and his family, Edinburgh views and photos relating to World War One, including the Edinburgh University Officers Training Corps at Peebles in 1915 showing Cadets Brown, Purves, Mills, Anthony, Smith, Hatton and Wallinck; Anthony with the Royal Welch Fusiliers in Oswestry and Llangollen (Anthony, Evans, Edwards, Gavin, Richards and Mitford) and Capt J Anthony M.C. and Capt J.H. Dick M.C. on the Somme in 1916.
GB 235 ANT/2 - Transcripts of 'The Identification of British Trees, Shrubs and Under Shrubs by means of the Microscopic Structure of their Wood', including photographs - 2 copies, loose sheets.
GB 235 ANT/3 - Original Manuscript for Flora of Sutherland, c.1970 - comparison with the published version shows the extent of J.B. Kenworthy's editing, as described in his introduction (right click, open link in new tab): http://www.botanical-society-scotland.org.uk/John_Anthonys_Flora_of_Sutherland
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment, see (right click, open link in new tab:) https://www.rbge.org.uk/science-and-conservation/library-and-archives/visiting-the-library/
Conditions governing reproduction
Not to be copied without permission of RBGE - may be copyright issues.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Care may be needed to access the transcripts as they are currently on loose sheets.
Photographs in album are faded.
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
The John Anthony boxes were damaged during the July 2021 Archives flood. Some pages, including those of the photo album have minor water staining; folders and boxes have been replaced.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
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Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Partial
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
description compiled by L.P.