This letter to Herman Strecker was written in 1873 by Titian Ramsey Peale. In it Peale describes his lifelong “butterfly mania,” and his recent sad experience transporting his butterfly collection via train.
Titian Peale (1799-1881) was a painter and naturalist. He was the son of Charles Wilson Peale (1741-1827), a Philadelphia painter, naturalist, and inventor. Titian was one of four sons, each named for an artist, the others being Raphaelle, Rembrandt, and Rubens.
Each of the sons were painters, but none achieved the recognition of their father. Charles Wilson Peale painted about 1,000 portraits, including ones of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. He also founded the first major U.S. museum in 1786, created for the display of natural history and technological objects.
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