[TN-Butterflies] death of william "bill" howe--18 august 2009

From: Stephen Stedman <SStedman@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: tn-butterflies@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:33:04 -0500
 

Many butterfliers in TN may be unfamiliar with the lepidopterist William Howe, 
but his passing is worth calling attention to as he had much to do with 
sparking early (i.e., 1970s) interest in butterflies in America, especially by 
publishing a fine book (1974) on North American butterflies that was 
illustrated with his own water color art work.

 

I attach an obituary and some remarks by two lepidopterists who contributed 
them to a listserv for butterflies called  leps-talk.

 

Many thanks to Julius Basham for bringing this sad matter to my attention and 
to Carl Swafford for having brought it to Julius' attention.

 

Steve Stedman

Cookeville (Putnam County)

 

 

 

 


> All,
>
> I have just learned that Bill Howe passed away, after suffering a 
> stroke, in Ottawa, Kansas two days ago.
>
> Bill is best known to Lepidopterists for his "Butterfly Book" that 
> was published by Doubleday and by his watercolor butterfly paintings.
>
> I first knew Bill back in the 1950's, when I was first starting out 
> as a collector, in Kansas City. My mother was president of the 
> Burrough's Nature Club in KC, that was affiliated with the Audubon 
> Society. Bill, who was a few years older than me, was a member of 
> the BNC, frequently attended meetings and often presented and 
> displayed his butterfly art.
>
> Bill introduced me to several of his favorite collecting localities, 
> including the one that I remember best, a virgin prairie near 
> Ottawa, Kansas that was home to a prolific colony of Speyeria idalia.
>
> I have signed copies of several of Bill's books as well as several 
> pieces of his original art work, things that I will remember him by.
>
> I last saw Bill in 2005 at the joint meeting of NABA and the 
> Lepidopterists' Society in Sierra Vista, Arizona. He had aged a lot, 
> but seemed in good health at the time.
>
> ---John Masters
>
All,
I met Bill Howe in July of 1966. He rode by on a large rented 
horse as I was collecting at East Rosebud Lake (Alpine, MT). Later he 
stopped by the cabin and we talked *Speyeria* for hours, reviewing 
hundreds of papered specimens documenting the several species that 
occur together in the Beartooth Mountains and their presumed hybrids. 
The *Speyeria* plates (19 to 32, 42-46) are among the best and most 
useful in BNA and to my eye represent his finest work.
Another book he illustrated is "Mariposas de Mexico. Fasciculo I. 
Introducción y generalidades Superfamilia Papilionoidea Familia 
Papilionidae" 1984 by Carlos Rommel Beutelspacher Baigts. ISBN 
968-435-060-0.
Next time I see a Regal Fritillary (Eastern or Western) I shall 
think of Bill Howe and his great contribution to North American 
butterfly knowledge and influence on many collectors.
...............Chris Durden
[TN-Butterflies] death of william "bill" howe--18 august 2009

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