Joseph Marshall Wade (March 7, 1832 – January 22, 1905) was an important British-American

ornithological Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

and textile publisher in the late 19th century.

Biography

Joseph Marshall Wade was born in New Wortley, near

Leeds, England Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

on March 7, 1832. In October 1850, Wade and his parents moved to the United States. By 1864, he was a successful expert weaver. However, natural history and publishing were his primary interests. In 1873, Wade's first publication venture was the ''Fanciers' Journal'', which dealt primarily with poultry and pets, but slowly included ornithological entries. His interests shifted to

ornithology Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

, and his second publication effort was more ambitious and successful. His journal ''The Ornithologist and Oologist'', established in 1875, became a leading popular ornithological publication, often at odds with the more scholarly journals, such as ''The Bulletin'' of the

Nuttall Ornithological Club The Nuttall Ornithological Club is the oldest ornithology organization in the United States. History The club initially was a small informal group of William Brewster's childhood friends, all of whom shared his interest in ornithology. These fr ...

and with professional birders of the

American Ornithologists' Union The American Ornithological Society (AOS) is an ornithological organization based in the United States. The society was formed in October 2016 by the merger of the American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) and the Cooper Ornithological Society. Its m ...

(AOU). His publication by 1883 influenced the founders of the American Ornithologists' Union to elect him as an associate member, which ranked below an active member. This led to a brief tussle between Wade and the leaders of the AOU.

Montague Chamberlain Montague Chamberlain (April 5, 1844 – February 10, 1924) was a Canadian-American businessman, naturalist, and ethnographer. Biography Chamberlain was born in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. He spent the first few decades of his life as a boo ...

warned that Wade, in combination with others who were upset with associate membership, such as

Charles Johnson Maynard Charles Johnson Maynard (May 6, 1845 – October 15, 1929) was an American naturalist and ornithologist born in Newton, Massachusetts. He was a collector, a taxidermist, and an expert on the vocal organs of birds. In addition to birds, he also s ...

and

Henry Minot Henry Davis Minot (August 18, 1859 – November 14, 1890) was a Massachusetts ornithologist and railroad executive. Henry was born at his family's estate, Woodbourne in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. He was the fourth of five sons born to Will ...

, might work together to establish a rival ornithological union. Chamberlain attempted to purchase Wade's ornithological paper, while the leaders of the AOU offered Wade, Maynard and others active membership. Wade turned down these offers. Ultimately, Wade sold his journal to

Frank Blake Webster Frank Blake Webster (June 16, 1850–November 6, 1922) was an influential ornithological publisher, taxidermist and natural history dealer in the late 19th century. Biography Frank Blake Webster was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on June 16, ...

in 1884, and more or less departed from American ornithology. His other less known publications that he edited or created were ''Familiar Science'', ''Truths of Nature'', ''Journal of Commerce'' of Boston, Massachusetts, and the textile journals ''Fibre and Fabric'' and ''Textile Manufacturer in Dry Goods Bulletin''. He also had an interest in Japanese culture and in the occult, and published short-lived magazines ''Occultism'' and ''Light from the Far East'' for these reasons. He died on January 22, 1905, in Boston, Massachusetts.Bulletin of the National Association of Wool Manufacturers, vol. 35, Mar. 1905.

References

American magazine publishers (people) People from Boston English emigrants to the United States 1832 births 1905 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople {{US-publish-bio-stub