Virtual Program
From 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Hunting for mushrooms is, almost by definition, a local undertaking. Forested paths, the undersides of fallen trees, and neighboring yards all make for good collecting sites. But toward the end of the 19th century, mycology became an increasingly international undertaking as global collectors attempted to gather and chart the worldwide distribution of fungal species. Curtis Gates Lloyd played a vital part in this project through a mixture of travel, specimen solicitation, and publication. This presentation explores how Lloyd and many others developed extended webs of correspondence that set the foundations for contemporary fungal science.
Brad Bolman is a Postdoctoral Member of the School of Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. His first book, The Dog Years: A History of Beagle Science, published by the University of Chicago Press, is due out next year. Brad is currently working on a second book which explores the international history of mycology and fungal science.