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Post by kirkwilliams on Nov 13, 2020 15:31:27 GMT -8
Many of you may have known Tony Harman. 1936- 2015. Turville, Buckinghamshire.
Quite the intrepid collector. Borneo and Sulawesi with project Wallace, Nepal, French Guyana. The list is long. He was my mentor and great friend.
I will attempt to up load some photos for you Yorky.
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Post by exoticimports on Nov 13, 2020 15:38:11 GMT -8
Please do!
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Post by kirkwilliams on Nov 13, 2020 19:32:17 GMT -8
Ok, whats the trick to posting a photo on this thread??
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Post by Adam Cotton on Nov 14, 2020 1:02:28 GMT -8
See my post in the Technical issues section at insectnet.proboards.com/thread/4692/picture-attachment for how to post photos. You have to use a (usually FREE) photo hosting website and put the link to each photo in your post. If you follow the instructions I give in the thread (assuming you use imgur) it is really easy to display photos full size in your post. You have to copy the link formatted for forums. Back in about 1983 I met Tony when he came to Thailand on a trip to Khao Soi Dao, Chantaburi, organised by Col. Mike Allen who was DA at the British Embassy in Bangkok then. I was a driver and translator and sadly for some strange reason Tony took an instant disliking to me. Maybe it was because I don't drink alcohol  Adam. |
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Post by bobw on Nov 14, 2020 1:31:14 GMT -8
I got on fine with Tony, but I drink a lot of alcohol  |
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Post by yorky on Nov 14, 2020 8:05:47 GMT -8
I used to visit Tony about 6 times a year. We would divide our day up in good weather to collecting butterflies by day and ran 3 light traps on his farm at night. In bad weather would spend all day in his enormous bug room pouring over specimens and books,they were indeed great days. The thing I am most thankful for is the laughter and gentle leg pulling, we used to liken each stroke of the net to a cricket shot, a pull, a drive, a hook, a sweep etc. The rarities in that room were astounding, collected by some of the most famous collectors who ever lived and with his usual kindness and generosity he let me have a few which I cherish. Tony and Dorothy were great hosts,in fact I only spoke to her today. His knowledge of British lepidoptera was profound and the years never dimmed his enthusiasm. In his farm and company I found my own little nirvana. I last spoke to him the day before his sudden passing, we had planned to go to Kempton Park insect fair on the Saturday but I received a phone call from his wife on Wednesday morning and I was shocked to the core. Sometimes you are lucky in life to meet a kindred spirit with who you hit it off straight away, I count myself fortunate to be able to call that fine old gentleman my friend.
PS Dorothy is sending me some pictures of Tony, my son Rob and I at the farm, I can't locate them for the life of me.
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Post by yorky on Nov 14, 2020 8:49:53 GMT -8
Of all the specimens I obtained from Tony this one gave me the biggest thrill, a genuine A S Meek specimen of Ornithoptera priamus posieden Attachments:
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Post by yorky on Nov 14, 2020 8:50:30 GMT -8
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Post by kirkwilliams on Nov 14, 2020 19:02:39 GMT -8
Wow that was some find!
Ive a few beauties he gave me over the years including his female Dilipa morgiana caught in Nepal and a specimen that has Col Fawcett label 1924 German New Guinea.
Adam, I cannot imagine why he would have disliked you?! Sometimes these things in life are a misperception. He wouldnt have given a toss that you dont drink! One less round for him to buy.
Hopefully the new website will be easier to up load on.
Tony visited for a week with his wife and son Martin back in 2011, just before our earthquake in Christchurch. He gave a slide show on Project Wallace, some good pics of he and Mike Allen and a 25 foot reticulated python with a deer in its belly.
When Mike was military attache to the Sultan of Brunei he would borrow a chopper and get dropped off on remote mountain tops in Borneo for a couple weeks with some local chaps to make a camp and do the hunting and cooking.
I used to try to write down the stories he told, collecting on the Rio Rupanuna in the Moko Moko mtns and watching the harpy eagles.
Martin Harman has been reading about 60 years of his ento diaries. On the day Martin was born ( and I paraphrase) long list of the moth specimens caught that day, and son born!! We had a laugh at that one.
I came up to England for his funeral and gave his Eulogy which I might post if I can find it.
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Post by yorky on Nov 15, 2020 4:16:45 GMT -8
In the bug room were specimens from Leech, Fruhstorfer, Doherty,Rothschild, the Pratt brothers, Frohawk,Leeds,Lang,the list goes on, I won't take up space here as they are posted on another thread. I don't drink either but my son and Tony drank enough together for the 3 of us,I've never seen a whisky bottle empty so fast. Hoping to get down to the farm in Buckinghamshire next spring if its allowed.
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Post by yorky on Nov 15, 2020 4:22:51 GMT -8
I'll just post this one. I've always been fascinated by entomological history. This specimen was taken by the Pratt brothers, note that it was sold at the famous Stevens auctions in 1917. Attachments:
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Post by yorky on Nov 15, 2020 4:24:07 GMT -8
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Post by yorky on Dec 15, 2020 13:34:57 GMT -8
Not the picture I was looking for but this was taken in Tony's "bug room" in May 2017,  Left to right my son Rob, Andrew King an entomologist from Preston England, yours truly and Dave Mapp (Dave UK). |
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Post by yorky on Dec 16, 2020 3:52:14 GMT -8
From the picture you can probably tell why I take my son collecting with me, I don't get too much trouble when people see him with me.
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Post by yorky on Apr 13, 2021 8:48:57 GMT -8
Taken outside Tony Harman's farm in Buckinghamshire May 2014, Tony, my son Rob and myself.  |
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