Biography

Carolina Port was a botanist born in 1856 and she graduated from the University of Zurich in 1874. She married fellow Swiss botanist Arnold Dodel in 1875, and they both took the surname Dodel-Port. From 1878, the Dodel-Port’s collaborated to complete the Dodel-Port Atlas. The completed series contains 42 botanical colour lithographed charts and the University of Sheffield Collection has 32, along with illustrations from other contemporary botanical wall charts.

Large wall charts, like the illustrations in the Dodel-Port Atlas, were essential for teaching the large classes of pupils in Germany as secondary education became more widespread throughout the 1800s, as well as at universities. The development of lithography made such large, colourful illustrations relatively easy to produce and so these educational resources became more accessible. The Dodel-Port Atlas was designed with secondary modern schools, grammar schools and trade schools in mind, rather than universities and colleges.

Some of the charts completed by Carolina in the Dodel-Port Atlas have her name specifically included as the artist, such as the chart of the ‘Volvox Globator’. Her husband, Arnold Dodel-Port, was Professor of Botany in Zurich and he corresponded with Charles Darwin, including during the production of the Atlas. Arnold was a staunch supporter of Darwin’s theories and sent Darwin copies of the early publications of the Atlas. In a letter dated 3 July 1877, Arnold writes that Carolina is eager to hear what Darwin thinks of her ‘Volvox Globator’ and whether he approves of the execution. Darwin replies on 6 July 1877 and is very complimentary of Carolina’s work.