Elsa Guerdrum Allen Explained

Elsa Guerdrum Allen (19. May 1888, Washington, D.C. – 29 January 1969, Utica, New York) was an American ornithologist, lecturer, author and historian of ornithology, known for her 1951 book The history of American ornithology before Audubon.^{[1] [2]}

Elsa Guerdrum received her B.S. from Cornell University in 1912 and married the ornithologist Arthur A. Allen in August 1913. They had five children, all of whom were born between 1918 and 1927. She earned a Ph.D. in zoology from Cornell in 1929.^[3] Most of her scholarly work dealt with the history of ornithology in North America before 1830.

According to Alan Feduccia, the first major archival study of Mark Catesby's life was Elsa Allen's 1937 article in The Auk.^[4] Her unpublished work includes a biographical study of John Abbot, a novel "The Story of Lalla", her diaries from 1912 to 1966, and "Minerva's Daughter".^[5] she died in New York at age 81

Selected publications

• Some sixteenth century paintings of American birds. The Auk. 1936. 53. 1. 17–21. 4077351. 10.2307/4077351. Allen. Elsa G..
• New light on Mark Catesby. The Auk. 1937. 349–363.
• Book: The habits and life history of the eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus lysteri. University of the State of New York. 1938.

  122 pp. incl. illus., plates, diagrs. 23 cm.

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• Jaques Le Moyne, First Zoological Artist in America. The Auk. 1938. 55. 1. 106–111. 4078506. 10.2307/4078506. Allen. Elsa G.. (See Jacques le Moyne.)
• Nicolas Denys, a Forgotten Observer of Birds. The Auk. 1939. 56. 3. 283–290. 4079049. 10.2307/4079049. Allen. Elsa G.. free. (See Nicolas Denys.)
• A third set of John Abbot bird drawings. The Auk. 1942. 59. 4. 563–571. 4079466. 10.2307/4079466. Allen. Elsa G..
• The American career of Alexander Wilson, father of American ornithology. 1952. Atlantic Naturalist. 8. 2. 60–76.
• John Abbot Pioneer Naturalist of Georgia. The Georgia Historical Quarterly. 1957. 41. 2. 143–157. 40577768. Allen. Elsa G..

Notes and References

1. Spofford, Mary Hoyt. Obituary. Elsa Guerdrum Allen. The Auk. January 1970. 210–211. 87 . 10.2307/4083696. 4083696.
2. Cottrell, G. Jr.. Review: The history of American ornithology before Audubon by Elsa G. Allen. Isis. 43. 298. 1952. 10.1086/348147.
3. http://cornell.worldcat.org/title/studies-in-the-life-history-of-the-eastern-chipmunk-tamias-striatus-lysteri/oclc/63371565&referer=brief_results Studies in the life history of the eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus lysteri. (Book, 1929), Thesis (Ph. D.)--Cornell Univ., Feb. 1929, Cornell University Library
4. Book: Myers, Amy R. W.. Pritchard, M. B.. 1998. Empire's nature. Mark Catesby's New World vision. 19. Chapel Hill & London. University of North Carolina Press. 0-8078-4762-3.
5. http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/RMA01362.html Guide to the Elsa Guerdrum Allen Papers, 1885–1976, Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library