Demorest Davenport papers, 1970-1993

Summary

Creators:

Davenport, Demorest

Abstract:

Correspondence, research notes, and teaching materials of UCSB zoology professor Demorest Davenport, during the later years of his tenure and into his retirement. Much of the material focuses on Davenport's 30-year interest in the representation of animals in primitive and ancient art.

Extent:

1 linear foot

Language:

Languages represented in the collection: English

Preferred citation:

Demorest Davenport Papers, MS-05, Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. University of California, Santa Barbara.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection documents the years 1970-1993, the latter years that Davenport was Professor of Zoology at UCSB and his retirement period. The papers document the day-to-day administrative and faculty activities he engaged in with colleagues, graduate students, and administration. They also focus on Davenport's 30-year interest in the representation of animals in primitive and ancient art.

The collection is organized into five series. Series One, Correspondence, consists of five years of outgoing letters covering a variety of academic activities from research interests and recommendations, to campus-wide issues. Davenport's observations on the campus unrest during spring 1970 are particularly enlightening. Also in this series is subject-related correspondence, both to and from Davenport, relating to sabbaticals during which he pursued his research on animals in art, visits to and work at marine labs in Great Britain and South America, various conferences he attended, and recreational activities, such as his favorite, fishing. Series Two, Lectures and Papers, consists mostly of files related to a talk given at the Linnean Society conference on ethology in 1977 and the subsequent publication of the proceedings. Also included are copies of several other articles Davenport wrote or co-wrote and one lecture given in Portland, Oregon. Series Three, Teaching Materials, contains tests, lecture notes, and reading materials for several classes Davenport taught at UCSB. Series Four, Miscellaneous Materials, consists of various graphic materials used for reference or publication in some of Davenport's articles, as well as research notes. Series Five, Artifacts, includes a microscope that was used on five polar expeditions commissioned by William Ziegler from 1901-1905, and a framed etching of a salmon.

Biographical / historical:

Demorest Davenport was Professor of Zoology at UCSB from 1946-1974. Although he began his career in entomology, studying butterfly systematics, he turned his interests to marine invertebrate zoology, specializing in behavior and bioluminescence. Davenport built up the invertebrate courses at UCSB and spearheaded efforts to create a renewable seawater system and pier for the campus marine studies program. During his career, he developed an amateur passion for archaeology, and he was interested in how animals were represented in antiquities. This fascination led to the creation of an interdisciplinary course called Animals in Primitive and Ancient Art which he taught in the College of Creative Studies and through Adult Education for a number of years.

Born in 1911 in New York, Davenport attended Harvard University and Colorado College, earning a Ph.D from Harvard in 1937. He passed away in 2004 in Santa Barbara.

Acquisition information:

Gift of Winnifred Davenport, 2004.

Arrangement:

This collection is organized into five series. Series 1 Correspondence includes general correspondence on UCSB letterhead and subject files, both arranged chronologically. Series 2 Lectures and Papers is arranged chronologically. Series 3 Teaching Materials and Series 4 Miscellaneous Materials are organized by topic. Series 5 Artifacts include personal items.

Rules or conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

Demorest Davenport Papers, 1939-1994, UArch FacP 45 in UCSB Davidson Library, Dept. of Special Collections. The collection consists of 6.4 linear feet of biographical materials, correspondence, writings, research, teaching materials, slides, and audiovisual materials.

Separated material:

Approximately 60 books and a complete set of Davenport's reprints were removed from the collection and are housed in the Cheadle Center library. They can be accessed through the library online catalog.

Additional collection guides:

See also Demorest Davenport Papers, 1939-1994, UArch FacP 45 in UCSB Davidson Library, Dept. of Special Collections.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Animals in art
Marine biology
Zoologists--California
Photographs
Drawings
Artifacts

Names:

University of California, Santa Barbara. Dept. of Biological Sciences
Davenport, Demorest

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, UC Santa Barbara. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cheadle Center as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

Demorest Davenport Papers, MS-05, Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. University of California, Santa Barbara.

Location of this collection:

UC Santa Barbara, Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration

University of California

Harder South 9615

Santa Barbara, CA 93106, US

Contact:

Website