Emily Mary Bowdler Sharpe (1868 – ), was an English

entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

, colourist and illustrator. Emily Mary Bowdler Sharpe was the eldest of ten daughters of

Richard Bowdler Sharpe Richard Bowdler Sharpe (22 November 1847 – 25 December 1909) was an English people, English zoologist and ornithology, ornithologist who worked as curator of the bird collection at the British Museum of natural history. In the course of his car ...

(1847–1909) and Emily Eliza Sharpe (née Burrows; 1842–1928). She had 11 sisters and one brother who died in infancy. Along with her sisters, she began her career as a colourist for her father's

ornithological Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...

books, contributing to the 103

lithographs Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...

in Richard Bowdler Sharpe and Claude Wyatt’s ''Monograph of the Hirundinidaeor Family of Swallows'' when she was 16. As an entomologist, she wrote ''A Monograph of the genus Teracolus (Lepidoptera)'' and many scientific articles, including the description of new species of butterflies brought back by collectors. The

Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity and organization devoted to the worldwide animal conservation, conservation of animals and their habitat conservation, habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained London Zo ...

notes her as the 'first woman to be the first author' in their

Journal of Zoology The ''Journal of Zoology'' is a scientific journal concerning zoology, the study of animals. It was founded in 1830 by the Zoological Society of London and is published by Wiley-Blackwell. It carries original research papers, which are targeted ...

. She undertook freelance work in entomology, mounting insects for

Frederick Selous Frederick Courteney Selous, Distinguished Service Order, DSO (; 31 December 1851 – 4 January 1917) was a British people, British explorer, army British Army, officer, professional hunter, and conservation movement, conservationist, famous for ...

and checking proofs for H.W. Johnston and Charles Chubb. She was also responsible for sorting and labelling her father’s egg collection. She was employed by the Entomology Department of London's

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history scientific collection, collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleo ...

between 1916 and 1925. By 1925 her eyesight was failing and she was receiving fortnightly payments because of her financial struggles.

Selected works

*Descriptions of new Species of East-African Butterflies ''

Annals and Magazine of Natural History The ''Journal of Natural History'' is a scientific journal published by Taylor & Francis focusing on entomology and zoology. The journal was established in 1841 under the name ''Annals and Magazine of Natural History'' (''Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.'') ...

''(6) 5 (28) : 335-336 (1890) *Descriptions of some new Species of Lepidoptera collected by Mr. Herbert Ward at Bangala, on the Congo ''Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.'' (6) 7 (37) : 130-135 (1891) *Descriptions of New Butterflies collected by Mr. F. J. Jackson, F.Z.S:, in

British East Africa East Africa Protectorate (also known as British East Africa) was a British protectorate in the African Great Lakes, occupying roughly the same area as present-day Kenya, from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west. Cont ...

, during his recent Expedition. - Part I & II ''Proceedings of the

'' 1891 : 187–194, pl. 16-17 633–638, pl. 48. (1891, 1892) *Further Descriptions of Butterflies and Moths collected by Mr. F. J. Jackson in Eastern Africa ''Annals and Magazine of Natural History''. (6) 5 (30) : 440-443 (1890) *A List of the Lepidopterous Insects collected on the Red Sea, in the neighbourhood of Suakim. ''Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London'' 1897(3):775-777 (1897) *On a collection of lepidopterous insects from

San Domingo Hispaniola (, also ) is an island between Geography of Cuba, Cuba and Geography of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and the second-largest by List of C ...

. With field notes by the collector, Dr. Cuthbert Christy - 1898(3): 362-369 (1898) * A List of the Lepidopterous Insects collected by Mrs. Lort Phillips in

Somaliland Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, E ...

. ''Proceedings of the zoological Society of London'' 1898(3):369-372(1898) *A list of Lepidoptera collected by Dr. Cuthbert Christy in Nigeria ''Entomologist'' 35 : 65–68, 101-107 (1902) *On new species of Butterflies from Equatorial Africa ''Entomologist'' 37 : 131-134 (1904) *Descriptions of new Lepidoptera from Equatorial Africa ''Entomologist'' 37 : 181-183 (1904) *Description of two new species belonging to the family Nymphalidae ''Entomologist'' 40 : 155-156 (1907) *A monograph of the genus '' Teracolus'' London, L. Reeve & Co.(1914)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharpe, Emily Mary Bowdler English lepidopterists British women entomologists 1868 births 1928 deaths 20th-century English women scientists 19th-century English women artists 19th-century English women scientists People from Camden Town People from Chiswick