Amateurism and science in seed and nursery catalogues (1870 - 1940)

• Grant number: 11/10088-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: August 13, 2011
• End date: September 02, 2011
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - History of Science
• Principal Investigator: Graciela de Souza Oliver
• Grantee: Graciela de Souza Oliver
• Host Investigator: Silvia Fernanda de Mendonça Figueirôa
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Oregon State University (OSU), United States

Abstract

The project "Amateurism and Science in Seed and Nursery Catalogue (1860 - 1940)" focuses on the visual and textual elements of advertisement and trade in plants and seeds in view of the relationship between amateurs and science professionals. Thus, the first objective of this project is to identify the interests and the publics which for the catalogues were made and I will try to trace the relative values they attribute to nature and publicity. Special attention will be given to female role and her image on horticulture, their tasks and profile. The second objective of the project is to identify the procedures of creating and visualizing new varieties in face of agronomical sciences and botanic, looking at how and why science served in social sphere. The third objective is to have a general view of what was the trade of plant and seeds in the United States under different aspects, social, economic and technical. I hope it will offer a broader view of what was possible to buy out of Brazil, especially in São Paulo, what they could aim, and with whom they could trade with. I believe this is the best way to start a research about how the agrarian or urban Brazilian bourgeoisie started to be concerned with plant varieties and acclimation experiences besides what were done in the scientific institutions fields. Besides the general approach of the three objectives above I will give special attention to the history of canna, grapes and orchids. I intend that this research will serve to comprehend the development of some scientific Brazilian communities due to its relation to commerce and social processes of urbanization. (AU)