Herbert Boucher Dobbie

Herbert Boucher Dobbie (13 February 1852–8 August 1940) was a New Zealand engineering draughtsman, botanist, stationmaster, orchardist and writer.

Herbert Boucher Dobbie
BornHayes 
DiedAuckland 
ChildrenBeatrix Dobie 
FamilyMary Dobie 

Biography

Dobbie was born in Hayes, Middlesex, England, on 13 February 1852.[1]

He died in Auckland, New Zealand on 8 August 1940.[1]

Works

Editions and versions of New Zealand ferns
  • New Zealand ferns (1880), 1st edition (five versions, referred to as the "blue books")
  • New Zealand ferns (1921), 2nd edition[2]
  • New Zealand ferns (1931), 3rd edition[3]
  • New Zealand ferns (1951), 4th edition, revised by Marguerite Crookes[4]
  • New Zealand ferns (1952), 5th edition, reprinted, revised by Marguerite Crookes[5]
  • New Zealand ferns (1963), 6th edition, rewritten by Marguerite Crookes[6]

New Zealand ferns (1880, first edition)

Five versions of the first edition of New Zealand ferns were produced by Herbert Dobbie and Eric Craig in the late nineteenth century.[7][8]These are often referred to as the “blue books” because the pages have full-sized, white silhouettes of ferns on a blue background. The five versions are:[7]

A: Dobbie, H. B. "145 Varieties of New Zealand ferns" In two parts. Part 1. (1880) pp. 1-48.[9]

B: Dobbie, H. B. "New Zealand ferns. 148 Varieties." In two parts. Part 2, (1880) pp. 49-104.[9]

C: Dobbie, H. B. "New Zealand ferns. 148 Varieties." (1880) 104p.[10]

D: Craig, E. "New Zealand ferns, 167 Varieties." (c. 1888) 104p.

E: Craig, E. "New Zealand ferns, 172 Varieties." Ed 2. (1892) 100p.

They were made by a process similar to blueprinting. A fern specimen was placed on chemically treated paper, which was then exposed to light for a set period of time. The paper was then washed in water which caused the exposed paper to turn blue while the paper under the fern remained white. [11]

Herbert B. Dobbie produced three hand-made book versions of fern illustrations (versions A-C). A few years later Dobbie sold the plates for this book to Eric Craig in Auckland who re-issued the books in c. 1888 and c.1892 (D-E).[12][13]

There are very few fern specimens collected or identified by Dobbie in New Zealand's herbarium collections. Dobbie's books, and particularly their images, are therefore the principal means of authenticating the identifications and names that he, as the New Zealand expert of that period, used for New Zealand ferns. The blue books are an important early window into Dobbie's understanding and interpretation of New Zealand fern taxonomy and diversity. They are also striking representations of New Zealand's ferns.[8]

New Zealand ferns (1921, second and later editions)

Dobbie went on to produce the second and later editions of New Zealand ferns from 1921 onwards. With its fine photographs of fern specimens, hints on collection and cultivation and delightful essays on fern-collecting expeditions it was an entirely different book from that of 1880. Unfortunately, in his effort to cater to the general reader Dobbie deliberately used popular but inaccurate terminology in his fern descriptions. This was remedied in the fourth edition of 1951, revised by Marguerite Crookes. She then rewrote the book for the final edition of 1963, 'incorporating illustrations and original work by H. B. Dobbie'. For 70 years, in one or other of its editions, it was the most popular book on New Zealand ferns.[1]

gollark: We actually transferred your entry to phase space.
gollark: Ah. This means it's now the waxing crescent phase.
gollark: I already *did* all my phases, repeatedly.
gollark: Esobot executed 758 of my phases in the past 5 seconds, so I'm fine.
gollark: That's nice. Does it contain Macron?

References
  1. McCraw, John D. "Herbert Boucher Dobbie". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  2. Dobbie, Herbert B. (1921). New Zealand ferns (2nd ed.). Auckland, New Zealand., Whitcombe & Toombs.
  3. Dobbie, H. B. (1931). "New Zealand ferns". National Library of New Zealand Catalogue (3rd ed.). Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  4. Dobbie, H. B.; Crookes, Marguerite (1951). "New Zealand ferns". National Library of New Zealand Catalogue (4th ed.). Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  5. Dobbie, H. B.; Crookes, Marguerite (1952). "New Zealand ferns". National Library of New Zealand Catalogue (5th ed.). Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  6. Dobbie, H. B.; Crookes, Marguerite (1963). "New Zealand ferns". New Zealand National Library Catalogue (6th ed.). Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  7. Mccraw, J. D. (1 July 1989). "The "blue books" of H. B. Dobbie and Eric Craig". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 27 (3): 347–351. doi:10.1080/0028825X.1989.10414116. ISSN 0028-825X.
  8. "Fern "blue books"". Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  9. Dobbie, Herbert (1880). New Zealand ferns (version A and B). H. B. Dobbie, Auckland, New Zealand.
  10. Dobbie, H. B. "New Zealand ferns : 148 varieties". natlib-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  11. "Herbert Dobbie's cyanotypes of New Zealand ferns". Rare Books Group. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  12. "Dobbie, Herbert Boucher. New Zealand ferns. 148 varieties. Auckland, [Circa] 1880". Sotherby's. 19 May 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  13. "XIII — Henry Field's Ferns of New Zealand | NZETC". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 2 January 2020.


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