Émile Blanchard
Encyclopedia
Charles Émile Blanchard (6 March 1819 – 11 February 1900) was a French
zoologist and entomologist.
Blanchard was born in Paris
. His father was an artist
and naturalist
and Émile began natural history very early in life. When he was 14 years old, Jean Victoire Audouin
(1797–1841), allowed him access to the laboratory of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
. In 1838, he became a technician or préparateur in this then, as now, famous institution. In 1841, he became assistant-naturalist.
He accompanied Henri Milne-Edwards
(1800–1885) and Jean Louis Armand de Quatrefages de Breau
(1810–1892) to Sicily
on a marine zoology expedition. He published, in 1845 a Histoire des insectes, or History of the insects and, in 1854–1856 Zoologie agricole or Agricultural Zoology. This last work is remarkable: it presents in a precise way the harmful or pest species and the damage they cause to various crop plants. This work was illustrated by his father.
Next he published an atlas of the anatomy of the vertebrates which appeared between 1852 and 1864. This publication raised his hopes to obtain the chair
of reptiles and fish
at the Natural History Museum left vacant by the death of Auguste Duméril
(1812–1870) but it was finally Leon Vaillant
(1834–1914) who was selected. However, in 1862, he was given the chair of natural history of Crustacea
, Arachnida and Insects. He left this in 1894 following his infirmity. He was elected, in 1862 into the Academy of Science. He began to lose his sight after 1860 and became blind in 1890. He died in Paris.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
zoologist and entomologist.
Blanchard was born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. His father was an artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and Émile began natural history very early in life. When he was 14 years old, Jean Victoire Audouin
Jean Victoire Audouin
thumb|Victor AudouinJean Victoire Audouin , sometimes Victor Audouin, was a French naturalist, an entomologist, ornithologist and malacologist.Audouin was born in Paris and studied medicine...
(1797–1841), allowed him access to the laboratory of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
. In 1838, he became a technician or préparateur in this then, as now, famous institution. In 1841, he became assistant-naturalist.
He accompanied Henri Milne-Edwards
Henri Milne-Edwards
Henri Milne-Edwards was an eminent French zoologist.Henri Milne-Edwards was the 27th child of William Edwards, an English planter and militia colonel in Jamaica and Elisabeth Vaux, a French. He was born in Bruges, Belgium, where his parents had retired. At that time, Bruges was a part of the...
(1800–1885) and Jean Louis Armand de Quatrefages de Breau
Jean Louis Armand de Quatrefages de Bréau
Jean Louis Armand de Quatrefages de Bréau was a French naturalist.- Life :He was born at Berthézène, in the commune of Valleraugue , the son of a Protestant farmer. He studied medicine at Strasbourg, where he took the double degree of M.D...
(1810–1892) to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
on a marine zoology expedition. He published, in 1845 a Histoire des insectes, or History of the insects and, in 1854–1856 Zoologie agricole or Agricultural Zoology. This last work is remarkable: it presents in a precise way the harmful or pest species and the damage they cause to various crop plants. This work was illustrated by his father.
Next he published an atlas of the anatomy of the vertebrates which appeared between 1852 and 1864. This publication raised his hopes to obtain the chair
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of reptiles and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
at the Natural History Museum left vacant by the death of Auguste Duméril
Auguste Duméril
Auguste Henri André Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of Herpetology and Ichthyology at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris from 1857. His father André Marie Constant Duméril was also a zoologist...
(1812–1870) but it was finally Leon Vaillant
Léon Vaillant
Léon Louis Vaillant was a French zoologist. He is most famous for his work in the areas of herpetology, malacology, and ichthyology...
(1834–1914) who was selected. However, in 1862, he was given the chair of natural history of Crustacea
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
, Arachnida and Insects. He left this in 1894 following his infirmity. He was elected, in 1862 into the Academy of Science. He began to lose his sight after 1860 and became blind in 1890. He died in Paris.