Lukas Large
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lukaslarge.bsky.social
Lukas Large
@lukaslarge.bsky.social
3.3K followers 1.6K following 1.7K posts
Natural Science Curator. Natural History, particularly fungi, Museums, Heritage & Art

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lukaslarge/
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There seems to be very little information about J W Lassetter, either the firm or the person who exhibited (where?) various stages of the Hermit Crab - Pagurus bernhardus. This was found in a box containing a mixture of marine shells and Silurian fossils from Aldridge and Rushall
Trade card: J. W.LASSETTER, FACTOR AND GENERAL DEALER IN ALL KINDS OF Nickel Silver Forks, Knives, Spoons, etc. ALSO THE NEW CELEBRATED REGISTERED METAL SILVENE, With all the beauty and utility of Silver, more reliable than Electro-Plate; of the same color all through. Cannot wear yellow. Hard and durable. WHEELER STREET, LOZELLS, BIRMINGHAM. PAGURUS BERNHARDUS * THE HERMITOR SOLDIER CRAB IN VARIOUS STAGES OF CROWTH EXHIBITED BY J.W.LASSETTER
January 28, 2026 at 4:38 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
So I guess woodlice are called 'landpissebedden' in Dutch then
Book cover: VELDTABEL LANDPISSEBEDDEN Matty P. Berg & Jan J. van Duinen Jeugdbondsuitgeverij 2018
January 28, 2026 at 2:48 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
One for the crust fungi fans, probably Peniophora quercina on a fallen oak branch #FungiFriends
January 25, 2026 at 7:15 AM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
Mmmm gelatinous #FungiFriends
January 24, 2026 at 1:20 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
Birch Polypore - Fomitopsis betulina by Hans Walty #FungiFriends #MycoBookClub commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CH...
Watercolours of bracket fungi on birch trunk with details at various scales CH-NB - Pilztafelwerk - GS-WALTY-A-1-22
January 24, 2026 at 8:27 AM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
Ever heard of a feather pelerine? I hadn't either until recently. There are in loads of museum collections but noone knew where they were from until recently. It turns out they were probably made in India but for the British Empire/ USA market. However they were completely forgotten
Victorian woman's clothing with a feather decorated cape and muffler. Te Papa museum collection accession number: GH017084 Feathered pelerine Cleveland museum of art 1996.14
January 23, 2026 at 3:28 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
Flammulina velutipes by Hans Walty #FungiFriends #MushroomMonday
A cluster of mushrooms with dark stipes and orange caps viewed from below
January 20, 2026 at 8:43 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
The skyline of Birmingham is really being transformed by these enormous new buildings
A tower block under construction with 3 cranes and small older buildings below
January 19, 2026 at 6:49 PM
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A new, albeit fairly niche book, edited by an featuring two of my colleagues on the cover: The Museum Environment Revisited
Managing Heritage Environments in the 21st Century. Edited By Jane Thompson Webb, Meagen Smith www.routledge.com/The-Museum-E...
Book cover: The Museum Environment Revisited, Managing Heritage Environments in the 21st Century Edited By Jane Thompson Webb, Meagen Smith cover image of two people in an old attic inspecting the timbers
January 18, 2026 at 8:36 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
A herbarium label from Charlotte Ellen Palmer. She was part of a remarkable dynasty of women who collected plants, minerals shells and many other specimens starting with Margaret Bentinck, Duchess of Portland
Handwritten herbarium label: Odiham, N Hants, C E Palmer, June 18 - 1894
January 16, 2026 at 4:35 PM
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Grey Knights, Tricholoma terreum, from the Verkade collectible card albums #FungiFriends #FungiFriday #MycoBookClub flic.kr/p/caH14N
A group of grey capped mushrooms
January 16, 2026 at 9:51 AM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
Images of the Nigel Ross collection of Vesta cases from Birmingham Museums Trust. An amazing variety of shapes from cicadas to pickles! dams.birminghammuseums.org.uk/assetbank-bi...
January 15, 2026 at 10:29 AM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
I love the style of these illustrations of fungi, maybe by Cornelis Rol from the Verkande collectible card albums, Netherlands 1920s-30s #FungiFriends #MycoBookClub flic.kr/p/caG7QN
Line drawings of stylised fungi including a Stinkhorn and maybe a Lentinellus
January 14, 2026 at 7:17 AM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
Parasol mushrooms from one of several albums of collectible cards written by Dr Jac P Thijsse for the Verkande company in the Netherlands in the 1920s-30s #FungiFriends #MycoBookClub
A tall image of a cluster of parasol mushrooms
January 13, 2026 at 6:41 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
A beautiful watercolour of an Amanita by Louis C. C. Krieger. The details are really astonishing. From University of Michigan Herbarium, Krieger's Watercolors of Fungi #FungiFriends #FungiFriday quod.lib.umich.edu/f/fuwatic
Watercolour of an Amanita mushroom and cross section
January 9, 2026 at 11:21 AM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
I was happy to find out that a book on the amazing fungus artist Hans Walty has recently been published: "Pilzwerk, Die fantastischen Farben, Formen und Fungi von Hans Walty" #FungiFriends #FungiFriday #MycoBookClub www.merianverlag.ch/en/produkt/k...
Book cover Pilzwerk, Die fantastischen Farben, Formen und Fungi von Hans Walty, featuring many colourful paintings of fungi
January 9, 2026 at 8:36 AM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
'Rebecca Harrison her book 1808' a great ownership inscription in a copy of Elizabeth Raffald's 'English Housekeeper'. There's also the name of who might be her daughter Ellen Harrison and her town, Pontefract, on the title page
Ownership inscription: Rebecca Harrison her book, in pencil below: Ellen (?) Harrison D 1849 THE EXPERIENCED ENGLISH HOUSEKEEPER, FOR THE USE AND EASE OF LADIES, HOUSEKEEPERS, COOKS, &c. WRITTEN PURELY FROM PRACTICE: DEDICATED TO THE Hon. Lady ELIZABETH WARBURTON, Whom the Author lately served as Housekeeper: Consisting of several Hundred Original Receipts, most of which never appeared in Print. PART I. Lemon-Pickle, Browning Br for fo all Sorts of made Dishes; Soups, Fish, plain Meat, Game, made Dishes, both hot and cold, Pies, Puddings, &c. PART II. All kinds of Confectionary, particularly the Gold and Silver Web for covering of Sweetmeats, and a Dessert of Spun Sugar, with Directions to set out a Table in the most elegant Manner, and in the modern Taste, Floating Islands, Fish Ponds, Transparent Puddings, Trifles, Whips, &c. PART III. Pickling, Potting, and Collaring; Wines, Vinegars, Catchups, Distilling; with two most valuable Receipts, one for refining Malt liquors, the other for curing Acid Wines, and a correct List of every thing in Season for every Month in the Year, BY ELIZABETH RAFFALD. A NEW EDITION: In which are inserted some celebrated Receipts by other modern Authors. LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. BRAMBELES, A. MEGGITT, AND J. WATERS BY H. MOZLEY, GAINSBOROUGH. 1808.
January 6, 2026 at 7:35 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
The Guru Nanak Gurdwara looking quite striking from a train at Smethwickn Rolfe Street station
January 6, 2026 at 2:19 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
Weathering has revealed traces of Permian-Triassic sand dunes formed more than 200 million years ago
Red sandstone building stone with cross bedding structure
January 5, 2026 at 7:18 AM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
Edwin Lees comments suggest that botanising in January was much less inviting in the much cooler climate of the 1850s. Source: www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography...
WILD FLOWERS OF JANUARY. (CONTINUED.) CHAP. II. SNOWING-TIME. TREES UPSET BY THE GALES. -LOCALI-TIES OF REMARKABLE YEW-TREES.-YEW IN THE OAK. -GROUNDSEL, DEAD-NETTLE, &c. -STOCKING-GORSE.-ASPECT OF NATURE. "When winter winds are piercing chill, And through the hawthorn blows the gale, With solemn feet I tread the hill, That overbrows the lonely vale. For still wild music is abroad, Pale desert woods, within your crowd; And gathering winds in hoarse accord, Amid the vocal reeds pipe loud. Chill airs and wintry winds! my ear Has grown familiar with your song; I hear it in the opening year,-I listen, and it cheers me long." H. W. LONGFELLOW. CHRISTMAS sports and Christmas holidays, like all other pleasant things, glide swift away, and the holly and mistletoe begin to look dingy, among the huge dark beams of the old farm-house kitchen. Even the botanist almost fears to look out upon the frosty lawn and withered garden, but when dawn slowly stalks upon the wintry scene, feels inclined between warm sheets to hug himself in fancied security, and, as he hears the stormy blast without, and just catches a shivering glimpse of the frosty finger-marks of stern Winter upon the window-panes, contents himself with the idea that there is nothing worthy of inspection out of doors. Yet Nature has something to exhibit even now, and above or under the frosty chrystalliza-tion of the earth, some vegetative action is progressing even at this dull period, called in the "Calendarium Naturale," NIVALIS, or the "SNOWING-TIME," when, Says FORSTER, "the weather is on an average of years cold, and the snow often falling or lying on the ground." No doubt about it, and if not cold from keen frost or pityless snow, blustering winds will probably sweep along, and pour their wild music through the woods. Of late years fearful gales have occurred in January, overturning multitudes of trees, and sadly upsetting the calculations of the farmer as to the drink-offerings he expected from the coming season, by the destruc-tion of sundry apple and pear trees in his homestead. Almost every orchard shows two or three trees which some former gale has thrown down upon their knees, and they invariably point eastward, thus showing that the gale has blown from the opposite quarter. It is remarkable that when a fruit tree has been thus placed apparently hors de combat, if it survives the shock, it becomes more luxuriant and flourishing, and is more stable for the future than those of its brethren that have retained their erect position. Apple and pear-trees often revive after being blown down, but not so the rigid church-yard Yew, which once fallen, There it is, laid prone in the dust by the midnight hurricane, after a warfare with the
January 1, 2026 at 3:00 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
The purple shoots of Elder, getting ready for the new year
January 1, 2026 at 2:31 PM
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The front cover is loose and the back cover needs reattaching, but the text block is in good condition as is the spine
December 31, 2025 at 3:52 PM
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New book repair project: 'the lady's assistant' by Mrs Charlotte Mason from 1801
Leather bound book cover THE LADY'S ASSISTANT FOR REGULATING AND SUPPLYING THE TABLE; BEING A COMPLETE SYSTEM OF COOKERY. CONTAINING THE MOST SELECT BILLS OF FARE, PROPERLY DISPOSED, FOR FAMILY DINNERS OF FIVE DISHES TO TWO COURSES OF ELEVEN AND FIFTEEN; WITH BILLS OF FARE FOR SUPPERS, FROM FIVE TO NINETEEN DISHES; AND SEVERAL DESSERTS: INCLUDING THE FULLEST AND CHOICEST RECEIPTS OF VARIOUS KINDS, And full Directions for preparing them in the most approved Manner, by which a continual Change may be made, as wanted, from the several Bills of Fare. LIKEWISE, DIRECTIONS FOR BREWING, MAKING ENGLISH WINES, RASPBERRY, ORANGE, AND LEMON-BRANDIES, &c. ALSO, REMARKS ON KITCHEN POISONS, AND NECESSARY CAUTIONS THEREON. WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING GENERAL PARTICULARS ON THE BREEDING, REARING, AND MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY, On the Business of the DAIRY, and on the Management of the KITCHEN and FRUIT GARDEN. Originally published from the Manuscript Collection of Mrs. CHARLOTTE MASON, A PROFESSED HOUSEKEEPER, Who had upwards of Thirty Years Experience in Families of the First Fashion. The Eighth Edition, ENLARGED, CORRECTED, AND IMPROVED TO THE PRESENT TIME, The most refined understanding and the most exalted sentiments do not place a woman above the Mrs. Griffith. little duties of lite LONDON: PRINTED BY C. WHITTINGHAM, Dean Stritt, Fetter Lane, FOR J. WALTER; VERNOR AND HOOD; T. HURST, R.LEA, LACKINGTON, ALLEN, AND CO. W. J. AND J. KRICHARDSON, OD J SCATCHERD; E. NEWBERY; SEWELL J. MATHEWS, P.M QUEEN CROSBY AND LETTERMAN, T. KAY; AND J. TINDAL 1801,
December 31, 2025 at 3:50 PM
lukaslarge.bsky.social
Found this Amanita junquillea that had been excavated by squirrels. A late season species, found with conifers #MushroomMonday #FungiFriends
December 22, 2025 at 4:34 PM
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This is the contents:
Field Mycology Vol. 26 (4) December 2025 CONTENTS Editorial Clare Blencowe 110 Fungal Portrait No. 104: Hygrocybe reidii Kühner (Honey Waxcap) David Harries 111 Bryophilous ascomycetes: a primer for mycologists 112 George R. L. Greiff You say Alnicola, I say Naucoria... - Alick Henrici 118 Galerina discreta: a species new to Britain Ben Garden & Andrew Donegan 120 A second locality for Puccinia ferruginosa in Britain -Preston Chris D. 123 Scytinostroma portentosum identified the hard way Robert Skipper 126 Psilocybe fuscofulva a possible war time introduction Geoffrey Kibby, Mario Tortelli & Claudi V. Soler 129 Spirodecospora (Xylariaceae), a new genus for Western Europe, characterised by spores with spiralling ornamentation 132 Tony Hardware, Jacques Fournier & David Harries Fungal Futures: Conservation news and views Matt Wainhouse & Rich Wright 139 Call for records of rust and smut fungi in support of GB Red-listing process Paul A. Smith & Matt Wainhouse 143 Book Reviews RHS Fungi for Gardeners - reviewed by Elliot Chandler 144 Front cover: Depicts the spiral ornamentation of immature and mature ascospores of Spirodespora melnikii along with the amyloid reaction in Melzer's reagent (see article on page 132). Micrograph Jacques Fournier. Back cover: Scytinostroma portentosum on a fallen Populus branch, found by Kerry Robinson, Hertfordshire, 25 February 2025. For a report on identifying another occurrence of S. portentosum, in Surrey, see article on page 126. Photograph© Claudi V. Soler.
December 16, 2025 at 8:21 AM