Claude Gay

Claude Gay, real name : Claudio Gay Mouret (born March 18, 1800 in Draguignan - November 29, 1873), was a French botanist, naturalist and illustrator.^[1]

The Cordillera de Claudio Gay in the Atacama Region of Chile is named after him.

This explorer realized first searching enquiry about Chilean flora, fauna, geology and geography.

A researcher

Came to Paris to study medicine, he quickly left this idea to become a researcher in natural history.

In 1828, he went to Chile to teach physics and natural history in a college in Santiago. In 1830, he accepted to become a researcher for the Chilean government.

He came back to France in 1832, and gave his collections to the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle de Paris (French National museum of natural history).

He returned to Chile in 1834 and explored again the country for four years. After having visited Peru in 1839, he lived in Santiago, where he drew up his Historia fisica y politica de Chile. This book was published by the Chilean government between 1844 and 1871.

In 1841, before coming back to France, Chile conferred the Chilean nationality to him.

In 1863, he went to Chile for the last time.

Honours

• Titular of the French Légion d'honneur ;

• Correspondent member of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (Paris) ;

• Elected at the French Académie des sciences in 1856.

Sources

• Marie-Louise Bauchot, Jacques Daget & Roland Bauchot, « Ichthyology in France at the Beginning of the 19th Century : The “Histoire Naturelle des Poissons“ of Cuvier (1769–1832) and Valenciennes (1794–1865) » in Collection building in ichthyology and herpetology, T.W.Pietsch, W.D.Anderson (dir.), American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, 1997 : 27-80.

Works

• Noticias sobre las islas de Juan Fernandez, Valparaiso, 1840
• Historia física y política de Chile, Paris, 1844–1848
• Origine de la pomme de terre, Paris, 1851
• Atlas de la historia física y política de Chile, Paris, 1854
• Triple variation de l'aiguille d'amiante dans les parties Ouest de l'Amerique, Paris, 1854
• Carte générale du Chili, Paris, 1855
• Considérations sur les mines du Pérou, comparées aux mines du Chili, Paris, 1855
• Notes sur le Brasil, Buenos Ayres, et Rio de Janeiro, Paris, 1856
• Rapport à l'académie des sciences sur les mines des États-Unis, Paris, 1861

References

1. ^ Travel Guide: Chile Experience by Josh Howell Second Edition. 7 February 2007 ISBN 978-956-309-028-4
2. ^ "Author Query". International Plant Names Index. http://www.ipni.org/ipni/authorsearchpage.do.