| AdminHistory | Stanley Smyth Flower (1871-1946), OBE FLS FZS, was a zoologist, army officer, science advisor and conservationist.
Flower was born on 21 August 1871, the 2nd son of Sir William Henry Flower (1831-1899) and Georgiana Rosetta, daughter of Admiral William Henry Smyth. He was born in the Conservator's House at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, where his father worked as a curator. Flower had a passion for natural history from a young age and would regularly attend meetings at the Zoological Society. He studied at Rottingdean and Wellington College, Berkshire, and then King's College, London, before joining the army with the Artists' Rifles in 1888. In 1890 Flower joined the Northumberland Fusiliers, with whom he went to India and the Straits Settlements. In 1896 Flower married Sibylla ("Sibyl") Maria Peckham Wallace (1876-1938), the elder daughter of Charles William Napier Wallace (1849-1910). They would go on to have 2 sons and 2 daughters. In the same year, Flower was appointed as a Scientific Advisor to the Government of Siam and the newly married couple spent the next 2 years in Bangkok, where Flower was in charge of the Zoological Museum.
In 1898 Flower was appointed the Director at the Zoological Gardens, Giza, by Lord Cromer and he stayed there until his retirement in 1924. During this time he travelled extensively, including joining the First Sudd-Cutting Expedition under Sir William Garstin in 1901, in the capacity of naturalist. In 1913 he was sent on a mission to India by Field-Marshall Lord Kitchener to report on the collection of animals kept in captivity. Flower also organised the Zoological Museum in a building in the Zoological Gardens at Giza, started an Aquariam at Gezira, and in 1901 he was appointed Ranger of Central Africa. He was also involved in organising the Sudan Game department, framing the Game Laws, as well as organising the protection of birds in Egypt. In 1914, at the outbreak of war, Flower returned to active service and organised and commanded the Transport Corps in the Canal Zone, Sinai and Southern Palestine. He also acted as Inspector of the Interior, Giza, and Political Officer, Giza, during the insurrection of 1919. He was awarded the O.B.E., the Order of the Nile (3rd Class) and Medjidich (4th Class) for his services.
Following his retirement in 1924, Flower and his family returned to England, settling at Spencer's Green, Tring, before moving to Tring itself in 1934 due to ill health. One of his favourite activities was regularly visiting the Museum at Tring. He continued to focus on his favourite subject, natural history, and produced many papers, whilst also regularly attending scientific meetings of biological societies, including the Linnean Society and the Zoological Society, being members of both. He was also a member of the British Ornithologists' Club, and acted as Chairman from 1930-1933. Following his wife's death in 1938, Flower married Charlotte Dorothea Stewart (1889-1981) in 1939. He died at Tring on 3 February 1946. |
| Description | 28 letters and postcards addressed to S.S. Flower, and 3 diplomas:
1. 1872 Aug 9. (?). Outlines plans during his visit to London.
2. 1875 May 31. Bartlett, A.D. Measurements of an African male elephant and an Indian female elephant.
3. 1903 Mar 8. de Man, J.G. Grateful for the specimens. Asks for specimens of freshwater crab from Ghizeh.
4. 1906 Jul 1. de Man, J.G. Regrets not having sent the names of the Crustacea he had received from Flower. Gives their names.
5. 1905 Jan 10. Schweinfurth [?], G. (postcard). The branch sent to him was Putrunjiva Roxburghii.
6. 1905 Mar 3. Schweinfurth [?], G. (postcard). Has discovered a new Calanchoe marmorata in several gardens of Luksor.
7. 1905 Mar 18. Schweinfurth [?], G. (postcard). Encloses seeds from the Telfaireapedata.
8. 1905 Apr 30. Schweinfurth [?], G. Name of the tree near the Zebra house was Terminalia belerica Roxb.
9. 1909 Apr 9. de Man, J.G. Crabs safely received. Gives their names and details.
10. 1909 Feb 9. Hooker, W.J. Has pleasure in recommending him for FLS.
11. 1911 Mar 20. Schweinfurth [?], G. Cairo very poor in Aloes. Hopes the Zoological Gardens will cultivate a set he will send them.
12. 1923 Jan 25. de Man, J.G. Prawns in the tropical region (encloses three drawings).
13. 1924 Aug 29. Hill, A.W. Two of Flower’s bulbs have been in flower. They are Crinum scabrum.
14. 1926 Feb 26. Maxwell, H. Grateful for paper on the duration of life in vertebrates.
15. 1930 Nov 28. Butler, A.L. About Waterton’s collection of birds at Stonyhurst.
16. 1931 Aug 11. Wipan, J.A.N. [?]. About the fish left in his aquarium.
17. 1932 Jun 8. LS. Grateful for Flower’s gift of the archives.
18. 1932 Jun 16. LS. Special thanks from the Library Committee for donation of books.
19. 1932 Dec 28. Angel, T. Friendly chatter and good wishes.
20. 1933 Nov 10. Hachisoka, Marquess. Found the Egyptian article very interesting. Chatter.
21. 1933 Nov 16. Innes, W.F. Has received with thanks Flower’s paper on the reptiles of Egypt.
22. 1935 Jan 25. Wipan, J.A.N. [?]. Not well in his 86th year. A note about his fishes.
23. 1935Aug. 25. [?]. Received with thanks the paper on the Duration of Life of Fishes.
24. 1942 Jan 2. Beebe, W. Friendly chatter.
25. 1942 Feb 10. Baker, E.C.S. Grateful for Beebe’s letter [No. 24], About the bombing.
26. 1943 Jul 25. Yearsley, M. About the bombing. Chatter. Note about Benvenuto Cellini.
27. 1944 Dec 7. Lowe, P.R. Academic chatter.
28. 1946 Nov 25. Flower, Mrs D. to the LS. Offers letters which her husband had marked "Linnean".
DIPLOMAS
29. 1909 Feb 6. From Naturalis Historic Cultorum Societas Alexandria.
30. 1919 Nov 20. From Societe Entomologique d’Egypte.
31. 1921 May 3. From L’lnstitut Egyptien. |