Glover, Townend

Townend Glover was born in Rio de Janeiro on February 20, 1813. His parents were English, and it to was Leeds, England, that Townend was sent on his mother’s death when he was only six weeks old. He became interested in natural history and enjoyed drawing. He was left an inheritance by his father, and this became available to him at the age of 21. He traveled to visit Munich, studied painting, and visited other European cities before returning to Leeds. His paintings, perhaps because he was shortsighted, were meticulous in detail. In 1836 he sailed for the USA to visit relatives, and traveled widely, especially in the South. In 1838 he moved to the state of New York, married in 1840, spent his time on natural history in the widest sense, and in 1846 bought his father-in-law’s country estate. In 1854 he joined the “Bureau of Agriculture” which had just been established in the U.S. Patent Office; his job was to collect information about insects. In 1856–1857 he was sent to British...