Life canvas: biological illustration as biographical evidence of illustrators’ and researchers’ careers

Scientific illustrations are one of the possible outcomes of a natural history museum’s research, communication or dissemination efforts. It is common that, given their role in science representation and dissemination, illustrations feature and occupy large areas of exhibition space, replacing text information. However, the authors of these illustrations are frequently unknown to the general public, including academics, but also many other museum professionals, such as the laboratory taxidermists, curators and librarians behind the genesis of an exhibition. Although some science illustrators were relatively well known by their published works, others remain quite unknown. In this context, we highlight unknown or forgotten illustrators of the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP) that were identified in the archival documentation associated with the scientific collections of the MHNC-UP. Among them is Sara Cabral Ferreira, Paulo Ferreira (1867-1936), Alice Beatriz de Lemos Pereira, Jaime G. Cibrão, Augusto Pereira Nobre (1865-1946) and Joaquim Sampaio (1899-1981). Information about the skills and the professional biographies of these illustrators is presented for the first time. The data was gathered in the museum archival documentation, including notes found in publications (preface and acknowledgements), examining academic relationships, and analysing illustrations with original pencil hand notes by their authors. Furthermore, we contextualize these illustrators’ activities with the drawing classes and the Museum, until the extinction of biological illustration classes and professional illustrators contracts.