Alexander Carte

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Alexander Carte
Born11 August 1805
Natural History Museum, Dublin
Scientific career
Fieldszoology and paleontology

Alexander Carte

Natural History Museum, Dublin.[1]

Early life

Alexander Carte was born 11 August 1805 to Edward and Margaret Carte (née Elliot), in Newcastle West, County Limerick, the couple's only son.[1] Edward Carte was an agent for the Devon estates in County Limerick. Carte began his education at Mr O'Brien's Academy, Limerick, then entering the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1823.[1] His education progressed, attaining a BA in 1830, MA in 1833, MB in 1840, and finally an MD in 1860.[1][2] Carte obtained a licence from the RCSI, and became a fellow in 1844, although he never engaged in general practice.[1] Carte married Ellen Dickson circa 1829, living at 14 Northbrook Road, Leeson Park, Dublin, with whom he had no children.[1]

Museum career

Carte was appointed

Captain Sir Francis Leopold McClintock.[6] Between 1851 and 1861, a large number of donations were made to the museum, most notably a collection of over 2500 bird skins.[4]

During his time as director, Carte oversaw the construction of a purpose-built museum building for the Society's expanding collections, which opened in 1857.[7] When the Museum became part of the new Museum of Science and Art Dublin under the Department of Science and Art London in South Kensington in 1878 following an 1877 act, Carte became the Natural History Museum's first director.[2] Carte's work on the organisation of the Museum, grouping animals taxonomically,[4] can still be seen in the Museum today.[1] In the period following, Carte oversaw the purchase of a large collection of marine specimens from Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and over 500 glass models of marine animals from Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka.[4]

Apart from his museum work, Carte sat on the council of the RCSI for many years, and was a member of the Royal Irish Academy, the Linnean Society, and the Imperial Botanical and Zoological Society, Vienna.[1] Carte had a keen interest in paleontology and the cave systems of Ireland. He published in the Royal Dublin Society Journal and the Geological Society of Dublin Journal on subjects from comparative anatomy to the possible existence of the polar bear in Ireland in the past.[1] He published with William Hellier Baily naming a new species of plesiosaur, Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni.[8] A fossil giant dormouse from Malta, Myoxus cartei adams, was named in Carte's honour by Andrew Leith Adams in 1863.

Carte died 25 September 1881, and was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery in the family vault.[1] He was succeeded in the Museum by Alexander Goodman More.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Byrne, Patricia M. (2009). "Carte, Alexander". In McGuire, James; Quinn, James (eds.). Dictionary of Irish Biography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  2. ^ a b Praeger, R. Lloyd. "Some Irish Naturalists: A Biographical Note". National Botanic Gardens. Archived from the original on 23 January 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  3. ^ "The National Museum of Science and Art". Library Ireland. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e O'Riordan, C.E. (1983). The Natural History Museum, Dublin. Dublin: The Stationery Office.
  5. ^ O'Riordan, C.E.; O'Connor, J.P.; Holmes, J.M.C. (1981). "Natural History in the National Museum of Ireland: Part 1". Biology Curators' Group Newsletter. 3 (1): 39.
  6. ^ Bourke, Marie (2011). The Story of Irish Museums 1790-2000: Culture, Identity and Education. Cork: Cork University Press.
  7. ^ "Natural History - History and Architecture". National Museum of Ireland. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  8. doi:10.55468/GC210
    .
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