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John Abbot Historical Marker
- John Abbot State Historical Marker
- Located on Arcola Rd. about 1 mile south of U.S.
80
(Text)
- JOHN ABBOT (1751-1839)
- ORNITHOLOGIST, ENTOMOLOGIST, ARTIST
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- 1/3 Mi.
In the old McElveen Cemetery, one-third
of a mile northeast of this marker, is the grave of John Abbot,
pioneer naturalist of Georgia. Abbot was born in London June
1, 1751, and in early youth became devoted to the study and delineation
of insects. At sixteen he already had become proficient with
water colors and had collected, painted and exhibited his work
in London.
Longing for new collecting grounds,
he came to Virginia in 1773 and, after three years there, he
settled in Georgia. During the next sixty years he devoted himself
to the study of birds, insects and plants, and some of his specimens
even today are found in the great museums of Europe.
One publication entitled THE NATURAL
HISTORY OF THE RARER LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS OF GEORGIA, with 104
plates, is compiled from Abbot's notes and was brought out by
Sir James E. Smith in 1797. Thousands of other paintings, mostly
of birds and insects, remain unpublished and are widely scattered.
Two albums of Abbot's paintings still remain in Georgia, one
of birds at the University of Georgia at Athens and one of insects
at Emory University.
016-2A GEORGIA HISTORICAL
COMMISSION 1956
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