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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #385433
Research Project: Systematics of Hemiptera: Plant Pests, Predators, and Disease Vectors

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Cultural entomology from the golden age of postcards

Author
item Miller, Gary
item MILLER, M. - Department Of Defense

Submitted to: American Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/16/2021
Publication Date: 3/31/2022
Citation: Miller, G.L., Miller, M.K. 2022. Cultural entomology from the golden age of postcards. American Entomologist. 68(1):36-47. https://doi.org/10.1093/ae/tmac009.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ae/tmac009

Interpretive Summary: Insects are important in human culture and society from many aspects. Not only do they compete for our food and fiber but they also are important in the transmission of animal and plant diseases. Insects provide many beneficial aspects to human society such pollination, biological control. An area of study often overlooked with insects is that of Cultural Entomology (i.e., the influence of insects in literature, music, the arts, interpretive history, etc.). This work addresses the influence of insects during the Golden Age of Postcard (1890-1915) to determine how insects were viewed by the public. This review shows how postcards were the platform to communicating both scientific knowledge and experiences regarding insects with both to the professional and layperson. Postcards possibly represent one of the best written aspects during this period with photographic postcards providing a direct capture on an event related to entomology. This work will be of importance to science historians, biologists, entomologists, and art historians.

Technical Abstract: Insects are important in human culture and society from many aspects. Not only do they compete for our food and fiber but they also are important in the transmission of animal and plant diseases. Insects provide many beneficial aspects to human society such pollination, biological control. An area of study often overlooked with insects is that of Cultural Entomology (i.e., the influence of insects in literature, music, the arts, interpretive history, etc.). This work addresses the influence of insects during the Golden Age of Postcard (1890-1915) to determine how insects were viewed by the public. This review shows how postcards were the platform to communicating both scientific knowledge and experiences regarding insects with both to the professional and layperson. Also, emphasized in the article is the use of postcards from this period as records for collection areas and habitats, heretofore rarely used in scientific documentation. Postcards possibly represent one of the best written aspects during this period. This work will be of importance to science historians, biologists, entomologists, and art historians.