Birding and Bombsite Flora: Uncovering the research potential of the Eva Crackles collection [U DEC]
Project overview
Eva Crackles (1918-2007) was a biology teacher and prolific natural historian and botanist from Hull, who dedicated much of her life to studying the flowering plants of the East Riding of Yorkshire. She became well-known for her research into the plants flourishing in the bomb sites in Hull’s city centre in the 1950s, and spent decades studying and recording the flora of the whole of East Yorkshire, becoming the Botanical Society for Britain & Ireland’s county plant recorder, publishing numerous articles in specialist journals and local publications, and she was involved in several campaigns for creating and protecting areas of environmental significance across the county. She was awarded an MSc in Plant Biology from the University of Hull in 1979 for her research on Calamagrostis at Leven Canal, and following the publication of her book, The Flora of the East Riding of Yorkshire (1990), she received an honorary doctorate from the university, and an MBE the following year.
This original piece of research advocates for the importance of the collection by revealing Eva's key role in the development of botanical research in East Yorkshire, as well as her contribution to science during the 20th century, particularly in the field of botany.
Project aims
- To understand the research potential of the collection for those working in the area of natural history
- To raise awareness of natural history related collections held at HHC in order to reach new audiences
- To uncover details about the life and work of Eva Crackles, using them to communicate Eva's significance as a female scientist working in Hull and the surrounding area during the 20th century
- To increase the accessibilty of this significant uncatalogued collection, supporting research use prior to it being catalogued in full
Resources used and available onsite at HHC:
[U DEC] The Papers of Eva Crackles, c.1940s-1990s
Please note that this collection is currently uncatalogued. If you are interested in this collection please contact archives@hull.ac.uk clearly outlining your interest and timescales.
Project outcomes
Blog post 1 - The art of birding: Eva Crackles ornithological work
Blog post 2 - Botanising on bomb sites: Eva Crackles’ studies of Hull’s flowering plants
About the researcher
This research project was undertaken by PhD researcher Toby Horkan as part of the University of Hull’s Leverhulme doctoral scholarship programme, Water Cultures. Toby's research broadly aims to investigate some of the stories and representations that surround Spurn Point, as articulated in different literary, artistic and oral-historical forms, seeking to understand how humans and nonhumans encounter and engage with this changing landscape.