Emile Clement
Encyclopedia
Emile Louis Bruno Clement (1844 – 1928) was a prominent collector of ethnographic artifacts
and natural history
specimens from northwest Australia
at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
in 1844--now called Bad Muskau and situated in the Federal State of Saxony on the border with Poland (Polish name: Muskau (Muzaków)). He died at Hove
in Sussex on 4 August 1928, aged 84 and was buried in the south aspect of Hove cemetery, near Brighton UK. His wife Emily Elizabeth died two years later and was also buried at Hove cemetery, alongside her beloved husband.
Throughout his life, Dr Clement pursued a variety of occupations, including archaeologist, teacher, naturalist,, mining engineer, ethnographer,, children's book author , and ethnographic dealer.
During the period 1877 to 1890 Dr Clement undertook a series of archaeological excavations in Silesia, and sold collections of Silesian Bronze Age
archaeological material to museums throughout the United Kingdom including the British Museum
, the Department of Science and Art
museums in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Dublin, the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
and the Reading Museum.
However Dr Clement’s largest contribution to museums was the sale or donation of numerous collections of Western Australian Aboriginal artifacts to museums throughout Britain and Europe. During the period 1896-1928, Clement sold over 1600 Australian Aboriginal artifacts from Western Australia to museums throughout England, Scotland
, Ireland
, and continental Europe
. In many of these museums the Clement material comprises a substantial part of their total holdings of Australian Aboriginal material.
Dr Clement made three trips to Western Australia: 1895; 1896-1898; and 1899-1900. These trips related to his involvement with establishing and later managing a number of gold mines around the Towranna and Roebourne regions. Among theses mines were the Towranna Gold Mines of WA Ltd lease at Towranna and leases held by the Lydia Exploration Syndicate on the Lower Nickol field northwest of Roebourne.
Clement's views on the relationship between Aboriginal people and settlers are recorded in an 1899 letter to the St James Gazette.
A study of the acquisition of different museums holdings of Western Australian Aboriginal objects related to Clement material suggests there were two distinct stages to Dr Clement's involvement. The early collections (1896-1910) were collected by Dr Clement, some probably with the assistance of his son Adolphe Emile Clement. In contrast, the collections acquired by museums during the second stage (1923-1928) seem to be derived from residents from the North-west area of Western Australia
, who sent the material to Dr Clement in England, who then sold it to museums.
As well as the ethnographic and archaeological material, Dr Clement contributed substantial quantities of botanical material from Northwest Australia to the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew between 1898 and 1900, as well as to herbariums in Leiden and Berlin
. Collections of his zoological material, containing many type specimens, are held in the British Museum (Natural History), Liverpool Museum and the Oxford University Museum.
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
and natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
specimens from northwest Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Biography
Emile Clement was born in Muskau in Prussia, SilesiaSilesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
in 1844--now called Bad Muskau and situated in the Federal State of Saxony on the border with Poland (Polish name: Muskau (Muzaków)). He died at Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
in Sussex on 4 August 1928, aged 84 and was buried in the south aspect of Hove cemetery, near Brighton UK. His wife Emily Elizabeth died two years later and was also buried at Hove cemetery, alongside her beloved husband.
Throughout his life, Dr Clement pursued a variety of occupations, including archaeologist, teacher, naturalist,, mining engineer, ethnographer,, children's book author , and ethnographic dealer.
During the period 1877 to 1890 Dr Clement undertook a series of archaeological excavations in Silesia, and sold collections of Silesian Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
archaeological material to museums throughout the United Kingdom including the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, the Department of Science and Art
Science and Art Department
The Science and Art Department was a British government body which functioned from 1853 to 1899, promoting education in art, science, technology and design in Britain and Ireland....
museums in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Dublin, the Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge
The MAA : Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge houses the University's collections of local antiquities, together with archaeological and ethnographic artefacts from around the world...
and the Reading Museum.
However Dr Clement’s largest contribution to museums was the sale or donation of numerous collections of Western Australian Aboriginal artifacts to museums throughout Britain and Europe. During the period 1896-1928, Clement sold over 1600 Australian Aboriginal artifacts from Western Australia to museums throughout England, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
. In many of these museums the Clement material comprises a substantial part of their total holdings of Australian Aboriginal material.
Dr Clement made three trips to Western Australia: 1895; 1896-1898; and 1899-1900. These trips related to his involvement with establishing and later managing a number of gold mines around the Towranna and Roebourne regions. Among theses mines were the Towranna Gold Mines of WA Ltd lease at Towranna and leases held by the Lydia Exploration Syndicate on the Lower Nickol field northwest of Roebourne.
Clement's views on the relationship between Aboriginal people and settlers are recorded in an 1899 letter to the St James Gazette.
A study of the acquisition of different museums holdings of Western Australian Aboriginal objects related to Clement material suggests there were two distinct stages to Dr Clement's involvement. The early collections (1896-1910) were collected by Dr Clement, some probably with the assistance of his son Adolphe Emile Clement. In contrast, the collections acquired by museums during the second stage (1923-1928) seem to be derived from residents from the North-west area of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, who sent the material to Dr Clement in England, who then sold it to museums.
As well as the ethnographic and archaeological material, Dr Clement contributed substantial quantities of botanical material from Northwest Australia to the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew between 1898 and 1900, as well as to herbariums in Leiden and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Collections of his zoological material, containing many type specimens, are held in the British Museum (Natural History), Liverpool Museum and the Oxford University Museum.
Museums holding collections of Western Australian Aboriginal material acquired from Dr Clement
|
Museum of Cultures Basel The Museum of Cultures Basel is a Swiss museum of ethnography with large and important collections of artifacts, especially from Europe, the South Pacific, Mesoamerica, Tibet, and Bali... , Switzerland |
Museums holding collections of German Bronze Age material acquired from Dr. Clement
- British MuseumBritish MuseumThe British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
- Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
- National Museum of Wales
- National Museum of IrelandNational Museum of IrelandThe National Museum of Ireland is the national museum in Ireland. It has three branches in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture and natural history.-Archaeology:...
- National Museum of ScotlandNational Museum of ScotlandThe National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, was formed in 2006 with the merger of the Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the Royal Museum next door, with collections covering science and technology, natural history, and world...
- Reading Museum
Institutions holding collections of natural history material acquired from Dr. Clement
- Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, KewThe Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
- Natural History Museum, LondonNatural History MuseumThe Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
- Oxford University Museum of Natural HistoryOxford University Museum of Natural HistoryThe Oxford University Museum of Natural History, sometimes known simply as the Oxford University Museum, is a museum displaying many of the University of Oxford's natural history specimens, located on Parks Road in Oxford, England. It also contains a lecture theatre which is used by the...
- Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum, Berlin-DahlemBotanical Garden in BerlinBotanical Garden in Berlin is considered one of the most important gardens in the world, with area of 43 hectares and around 22,000 different plant species.The garden is located in the Dahlem neighborhood of the borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf...
- Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, LeidenNational Herbarium of the NetherlandsThe National Herbarium of the Netherlands was established in 1999 through a decentralized merger of the major university herbaria of Leiden , Utrecht and Wageningen...
Flora named after Dr. Clement
|
Sida clementii Sida clementii is a shrub in the family Malvaceae, native to Western Australia. It has an erect, spreading habit and grows to between 0.4 and 1.3 metres high... Domin Tephrosia clementii Tephrosia clementii is a legume species, endemic to the north-west of Western Australia. It is an annual with a prostrate, spreading habit, growing to between 0.1 and 0.25 metres high... Skan Tephrosia rosea Tephrosia rosea, commonly known as Flinders River Poison, is a legume species, endemic to northern Australia. It is a shrub with an erect or sprawling habit, growing to between 0.2 and 2 metres high... var. clementii Domin Ptilotus clementii Ptilotus clementii, commonly known as Tassel Top is a native Australian annual herb growing to between 0.3 and 1 metre high. Nodding, green flower spikes are produced between March and November in the species native range.... ) Triumfetta clementii Triumfetta clementii is a shrub species that occurs in the north-west of Western Australia. It has an erect, speading habit, growing to between 0.15 and 0.6 metres high... ) |
Zoological type specimens collected by Dr. Clement
- Cephaloplatys clementii, sp. n.
- Pseudælia clementi, sp. n.
- Roebournea diversa
External links
- Letter from Clement to London's St James Gazette, dated 5 April 1899, describing his experiences in Western Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3229124