Richard Bowdler Sharpe (22 November 1847 – 25 December 1909) was anEnglishzoologist andornithologist who worked as curator of the bird collection at theBritish Museum of natural history. In the course of his career he published several monographs on bird groups and produced a multi-volume catalogue of the specimens in the collection of the museum. He described many newspecies of bird and also has had species named in his honour by other ornithologists includingSharpe's longclaw (Macronyx sharpei) andSharpe's starling (Pholia sharpii).
Richard was born in London, the first son of Thomas Bowdler Sharpe. His grandfather, Reverend Lancelot Sharpe was Rector ofAll Hallows Staining. His father was a publisher on Skinner Street and was best known for being the publisher ofSharpe's London Magazine, an illustrated periodical (weekly but monthly from 1847). His care from the age of six was under an aunt, Magdalen Wallace, widow of the headmaster at Grammar School in Sevenoaks and went to school in Brighton. At nine he studied atThe King's School, Peterborough receiving a King's Scholarship. He then moved toLoughborough Grammar School. He returned to London at the age of sixteen and worked as a clerk with W. H. Smith & Sons. He already took an interest in ornithology and was interested in writing a monograph on the kingfishers. After two years, in 1865, he joined the company of the bookseller Bernard Quaritch and had an opportunity to examine ornithological books and began to work in earnest on his monograph, purchasing specimens of kingfishers from a meagre income. At nineteen, in 1867, he became a librarian at theZoological Society of London on the recommendation ofOsbert Salvin andPhilip Sclater and he completed hisMonograph of the Kingfishers (1868–71) during this period. The book was produced in parts with 121 illustrations.[1]
He then began to collaborate withHenry Dresser onA History of the Birds of Europe but this had to be abandoned because of his new appointment. On the death ofGeorge Robert Gray in 1872 he joined theBritish Museum as a Senior Assistant in the Department of Zoology, taking charge of the bird collection. On 3 December 1867 he married Emily Eliza,[2] daughter of J. W. Burrows of Cookham.[1] He named asubspecies of thecommon paradise kingfisher (Tanysiptera galatea emiliae) after his wife in 1871.[3][a] They hadten daughters and many of them contributed to his books (and of other authors too) by hand colouring the lithograph plates. One daughter,Emily Mary, worked in the entomology department of the Natural History Museum between 1905 and 1925.[5] He became Assistant Keeper in 1895, a position he held until his death frompneumonia in 1909. He died at his home in Chiswick.[1] In 1911 a £100 civil pension was granted to his wife and daughters Emily Mary, Ada Lavinia and Eva Augusta.[6]
As curator of the bird collections, Sharpe's main work was in classifying and cataloguing the collections. He also played a major role in acquiring private collections by persuading wealthy collectors and travellers to contribute to the museum. In 1872 the museum had 35,000 bird specimens; the collection had grown to half a million specimens by the time of his death. These included the bequests ofAllan Octavian Hume,Osbert Salvin andFrederick DuCane Godman, the industrialist and amateur ornithologistHenry Seebohm, ColonelJohn Biddulph, C. B. Rickett,F. W. Styan,Alfred Russel Wallace,George Ernest Shelley,Philip Sclater and the bird illustratorJohn Gould.[1]
Sharpe founded theBritish Ornithologists' Club in 1892 and edited its bulletin. He wrote thirteen and a half of the 27 volumes of theCatalogue of the Birds in the British Museum (1874–1898). His handsomeBirds of Paradise, published in two large volumes (over 21 inches x 14 inches) in 1891 and 1898, presented these colourful birds to the world: as Sharpe wrote in his preface, "a great number of the species are here figured for the first time".[1]
Sharpe was nominated at the International Ornithological Congress at Paris in 1900 to preside over the London Congress in 1905.[1]
Sharpe was noted as a genial and humorous person.[8]Richard Meinertzhagen and his brother were introduced to the bird collections by him. He was fond of children, having ten daughters himself.[5] None of them were given the name "Bowdler" at birth, but all adopted it later in life.[5] The eldest daughter,Emily Mary Bowdler Sharpe, was a biologist and author in her own right, and also worked at the British Museum.[5] The other nine daughters (Ada Lavinia, Eva Augusta, Lilian Bertha, Dora Louise, Lena Violet, Daisy Madeline, Sylvia Rosamund, Hilda Marion, and Aimee Marjorie) all worked as colourists on his works.[5]
Sharpe was also known for his practical jokes and pranks. WhenEugene Oates was working on theFauna of British India, he found the notes lying on a table and filled up a stray statement on the call of awhite wagtail (ssp.lugens) which went into print (The note of this species is a prolonged "Pooh."[9]). On one occasion, Sharpe ascended the Eiffel tower with friends but became hysterical on reaching the top, withErnst Hartert and several others having to restrain him and prevent him from jumping off.[1][10][11] A regular at the Savage and Whitefriars Club, he and his wife threw a party in February 1888 with 120 guests and entertainment that included humorous sketches, songs, recitals and music.[5]
Sharpe was awarded an honorary LL.D. by the University of Aberdeen. He was fellow of the Linnean Society and the Zoological Society of London. A gold medal was awarded to him in 1891 by the Emperor of Austria.[12] As of 2019, in the online list of world birds maintained byFrank Gill and David Donsker on behalf of theInternational Ornithologists' Union, Sharpe is credited with formally describing and coining the Latin names of 233species of bird as well as 201subspecies. He is also credited with introducing 45genera.[13] Many species and subspecies of birds have been named after him including:[13]
A genusSharpia was erected but is now considered to be synonymous withPloceus.[14]
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