DRAWING AND SCIENCE
Paleontology is a branch of science that developed in the 18th century as a part of an international fascination with science and history. This page, from a book called Peck”s Historical Atlas of Nature and Science, would have been one of many books to be found in every educated family’s parlor. These atlases and encyclopedias held as much of the current knowledge as a printing company could cram in. Taken together, they formed a kind of search engine- information gathered and systemized for research as well as casual learning.
Before cameras were invented, scientist had to learn to be really good at drawing or have enough money to hire folks who were really good at drawing. Most of the illustrations in these Atlases and Encyclopedias are unsigned. The artist who carefully rendered the bones and other fossils left us with great information- all except their name. Since drawing was considered an important and useful skill in the 18th and 19th centuries, students always had drawing lessons in school.
Drawing helps a person learn to pay attention to details and notice subtle changes in the world around them. Even after cameras became widely available, most paleontologists and geologists and archeologists and botanists still depend on their drawing skills to record how something looks she they find it. Here is a story of my favorite pair of amateur explorers.
ROCK ART IN TEXAS
BY FOREST AND LULA KIRKLAND
In the 1930’s in Dallas, an illustrator and a photographer, who happened to also be married to one another, made an interesting discovery. They were visiting family in the West Texas and found graffiti in a creek bed. Graffiti that was perhaps 1000 years old! Forest made watercolor sketches and Lula took photos of Native Texan Rock Art (Petroglyphs)until 1942. Most of the Rock Art they copied has since disappeared. For some of the paintings, Forest and Lula used the local red, yellow and ochre dirt.
Their work makes me happy every time I look at it. They spent their free time making something that records important history in Texas. We are all a little richer because of their gift.
http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/plateaus/artistic/images/fk.html
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