Blanchard, Charles Émile (1819-1900)

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
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.

After 1860, Émile Blanchard (1819–1900), professor of entomology, helminthology and ichthyology, gradually restricted access to the collections by amateurs, and the overall activity of the Museum declined, while the collections were dispersed.

BY the death on February, at the ripe age of 84 years, of Prof. Émile Blanchard, France has lost the doyen of its zoologists, the French Academy one of its oldest and most esteemed members, and the Paris Museum a famous entomologist. Blanchard's career was a somewhat remarkable one, and at the same time a noble example to others; for he rose to distinction from the ranks, and, when stricken by one of the most terrible of all afflictions, never swerved for an instant from the course he had to run.

French zoologist and entomologist of great skill who became blind in the 1860s. Sources: Gilbert, Pamela 1977

Charles Èmile Blanchard, (7 May) 1819-1900 (11 Feb.), who mainly worked on insects, but also worms and fresh water fishes

ANT TAXONOMY
Mutilla (Labidus) fulvescens described a male from Brazil.

PUBLICATIONS

 * Blanchard, E. 1846. Les insectes. 2. Atlas; livraison 234 (Ins. 44). Plate 118. In: Le règne animal distribué d'après son organisation, pour servir de base à l'histoire naturelle des animaux, et d'introduction à l'anatomie comparée, par Georges Cuvier. Paris: Fortin, Masson et Cie, Libraires.

REFERENCE

 * Nature 61, 473-473 (15 March 1900)


 * Porter, C. E., Rev. Chilena Hist. Nat. 38:111- 112, 1934.