The archives of the Botanical Institute of Barcelona house several collections of scientific correspondence, notable both for their volume and for the relevance of the figures who compiled them. Among these, the collection of Carlos Pau Español (1857–1937) stands out. From the pharmacy he managed in his hometown of Segorbe, Pau produced what experts regard as the most important contribution to Spanish botany of his time.
“Cartas a un botánico. Historia natural, farmacia y sociabilidad científica en la correspondencia de Carlos Pau” presents a series of studies based on the analysis of the digitized contents of this archival collection. These documents reveal a wide range of topics and issues related to the practice of botany, the development of the pharmaceutical profession, and the establishment of scientific networks in Spain during the Restoration, the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, and the Second Republic.
The work, published by the Uriach Foundation in 2024, was made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Botanical Institute of Barcelona and, in particular, the coordination efforts of Jesús Catalá-Gorgues, Laura Gavioli, and Neus Ibáñez.
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