A fine Victorian Mahogany British, Irish & Scottish Lepidoptery Collection & Cabinet,

A fine Victorian Mahogany British, Irish & Scottish Lepidoptery Collection & Cabinet, The Cabinet - English, c.1880, with a small circular plaque marked 'CABINET WORK BY J. J. HILL & SONLONDON N. W. 10' , the cabinet in 4 sections each section with 10 drawers, each drawer on hidden bearer runners with lift-off framed glass lids and integral camphor cell, two pulls and a single brass label holder to the front, cabinets with removable locking front covers, with plinth base and top panels, most of the butterflies with labels giving the collectors name, locations, and date, with one of the 4 sections empty of butterflies assembled cabinet height 138cm x width 107 cm x depth 48cm The Collection was put together by Geoffrey Alfred Cole, born in 1902 in Swindon, Somerset, the younger of two sons born to Samuel Barrett and Anne (nee Gammon) Cole. The collection was begun around 1912 whilst Geoffrey was a student at Leighton Park School, Reading. Geoffrey trained as an accountant and in 1939 he joined the Ministry of Pensions and was posted to Belfast as a hospital accountant during the 2nd World war. Following this Geoffrey was assigned to various different hospitals culminating in a posting to Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton. In 1945 he joined the fledgling National Health Service as treasurer of the South-East Metropolitan Health Service. Although technically a hobby, Geoffrey’s knowledge gained him a reputation as an eminent amateur lepidopterist. His extensive collection of native British Butterflies has been beautifully preserved and presented. This collection was originally one of two collections; the other being a collection of native British Moths. On his death, Geoffrey generously donated the moth collection to a national institute to ensure that it would continue to be studied and maintained by the scientific community.