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Date of Birth |
March 1716. |
Place of Birth 
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Ångermanland, Sweden. |
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Date of Death |
16 November 1779. |
Place of Death 
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Turku [Åbo], Finland.
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Monuments Medals Etc. 
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- Buried, St Marie churchyard Turku [Åbo].
- Memorial monument at the same churchyard. With the text; “Pehr Kalm Natus 1716 Denatus 1779 in Academia Aboensi Professor Oeconomiae Pastor Ecclesiae Sanctae Mariae”.
- Memorial medal, “Pehr Kalm Prof. Oecon. Aboensis. N. MDCCXVI. OB. MDCCLXXIX”.
- Memorial stamp of Pehr Kalm, 1979, Finland.
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Variations of Name's Spelling |
Yes, very occasionally in letters; Petrus or Petter as first name.
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Preserved signature |
In correspondence.
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Portrait |
Oil on canvas, signed J. G. Geitel, c. 1764, (Some uncertainty remains if the portrait depicts Kalm).
[Source; Satakunta Museum, Björneborg, Finland]. |
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Childhood, Adolescence & Education |
- Father, chaplain Gabriel Kalm.
- Mother, Catharina Ross.
- His father died before the son Pehr’s birth or shortly after. The mother returned to Finland 1721 after the peace of Nystad and took up residence in Vasa. A place where the parents had lived before they found it necessary to find a safe place in Ångermanland before the war.
- Studies, Vasa, Finland.
- Student, Åbo Akademi, Finland signed in 1735; started with theology, but he soon concentrated on studies in natural history.
- Student, Uppsala University, signed in autumn 1740.
- At the same time - 1740 - Sten Carl Bielke, Lövsta (Löfstad) Manor close to Uppsala, took Kalm under his protection. This was a turning point for the young student Kalm - as without financial difficulties - could wholehearted devote his time for academic studies in natural history, but also curated Bielke’s natural history collections and vegetable garden.
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Professional Life |
- Kalm made experimental cultivations, looked after Bielke’s herbarium and generally helping Bielke with natural history matters at Lövsta (Löfstad) Manor 1740-1747.
- Member of the The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 1745.
- Senior lecturer in natural history and economy, Åbo Academy, Finland 1746.
- Professor in OEconomy, Åbo Academy, Finland 31 August 1747.
- He completed his travel journal after his return home from America, autumn 1751-1752, although some parts of the extensive manuscript were lost in a fire.
- Kalm continued his Professor’s situation at Åbo Academy 1752, as academic lecturer and whilst also working with his experimental cultivations and academic writing.
- Economical difficulties increased through the years, so Kalm decided to ordain as a priest to make a more secure future for his family, but this choice of added profession also became a larger work load. His clerical work was managed besides his Professors duties. First as prebend in Pikis 1757-1763 and from 1763 in St: Marie, both parishes in Turku [Åbo].
- Kalm was also one of the promoters of the Åbo Academy’s botanical garden, 1757.
- Doctor in theology 1768.
- Fellow of The Royal Patriotic Society 1772.
- Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg 1777.
- Kalm was active until his last year of life, with his undertakings mentioned above. However his health deteriorated during his last years of life; foremost with bad eyesight, troublesome head- and toothaches.
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Journeys & Voyages 
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- (Kalm’s journeys between the years 1740-1745, was financed by Sten Carl Bielke).
- Summer 1740; south of Finland, Tavastland, Savolaks and Karelen.
- Summer 1741; Roslagen and Västmanland, Sweden.
- Summer 1742; Bohuslän and Västergötland, Sweden.
- Spring 1744; Russia, in company with Sten Carl Bielke.
- Late summer 1745; the southern part of Västergötland, Sweden.
- He travelled to North America where he made numerous natural and cultural historical observations. The journey started 5 October 1747 from Löfstad to Göteborg, by ship 30 November towards Norway where he visited Grömstad, Arendal and Kristiansand. He travelled to London 28 January 1748 where he arrived 7 February. Kalm stayed in England until 25 July, when he sailed towards America and anchored in the road of Philadelphia 15 September. Kalm’s travels in North America was concentrated to the areas; Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the southern part of present day Canada. He left the continent via Philadelphia, 13 February 1751 and arrived in London late April and stayed there very briefly before leaving for Gothenburg and arrived in Stockholm 3 June 1751. (The American journey was principally financed by his Professorship in OEconomy at Åbo Academy).
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Travel Diaries & Other Publications in Connection with the Journeys & Voyages 
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- Wästgötha och Bohusländska resa 1742, published 1746.
- Kalm began publishing his experiences and discoveries in 1753. En Resa til Norra America; Vol. I 1753, Vol. II 1756 and Vol. III 1761. Also published in English 1770-1771.
- The most complete publication of the original diary written in Swedish; Resejournal över resan till Norra America. (Part 1 and 2, published by Martii Kerkkonen & John E. Roos, Helsingfors 1966 and 1970. Part 3 and 4 published by John E. Roos & Harry Krogerus, Helsingfors 1985 and 1988).
- ‘Pehr Kalms Amerikanska reseräkning’, (published by, Svenska Litteratursällskapet i Finland, Helsingfors 1956).
- Kalm published; 142 smaller theses primarily related to zoology, botany and economical observations from a utilitarian point of view related to his studies in America, Sweden and Finland.
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Civil Status & Family |
- Married to Anna Margareta Sandin, (maiden name, Sjöman) January or February 1750 in Amerika.
- Stepdaughter from Anna Margareta’s first marriage.
- Kalm’s family was extended with several children, unknown how many.
- Kalm and his family lived at Sipsalo close to Turku [Åbo]. A property he had at his disposal through Åbo Academy - from 1752 - where he as well had large experimental cultivations and plantations. The family moved to another property in connection to the botanical garden of Åbo Academy during the autumn 1757, but Kalm was still also managing the plantations at Sipsalo.
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Preserved Collections & Manuscripts 
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- Herbarium collection with c. 400 plant species, The Linnean Society in London.
- Herbarium collection with c. 380 plant species, Uppsala Botanical Museum, Uppsala University.
- Smaller collections of herbarium plants from North America; Linnaean Herbarium, Swedish Museum of Natural History and Bergius Herbarium both in Stockholm, Natural History Museum London, Gray Herbarium at Harvard University, New York Botanical Garden and the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.
- American butterflies and insects, donated by Kalm to Lovisa Ulrika’s Cabinet of Natural History at Drottningholm Castle. Today; Uppsala University Zoological Institution (The Museum of Evolution).
- Notes “angående nyttan af våra inländska växter”, Uppsala University Library.
- Pehr Kalm’s original travel journal, Helsinki University Library, Finland.
- “Plantae Fennicae..., List of plants and grasses useful for cattle fodder..., Descriptions of North American plants..., manuscripts by Kalm, The Linnean Society of London.
- Letters, The Linnean Society of London, Linnean Correspondence. (40 letters from Kalm to Linnaeus, 2 letters from Linnaeus to Kalm).
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Extra Notes |
- Pehr Kalm’s detailed observations was met with great interest by scientists during the 20th century, and his travel journal has been published in many editions through the years, also in North America where Kalm is well known.
- The North American seeds grew and developed badly in the Nordic climate, which became a disappointment for both Kalm and Linnaeus. They had put in great hope to that the useful plants - collected by Kalm - would grow and thrive just as good here as in North America.
- Pehr Kalm’s life can be followed with unusual exactness, for the reason of his extensive correspondence.
- The plant genus Kalmia L. (family Ericaceae) was named by Linnaeus after Pehr Kalm.
- Kalm’s personal herbarium and some manuscripts were destroyed by fire in Turku [Åbo] 1827.
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Added Knowledge |
Discover... |
ADDED KNOWLEDGE
Botany 
Anton Rolandsson Martin 
Johan Peter Falck 
Pehr Kalm 
Pehr Löfling 
Daniel Rolander 
Göran Rothman 
Fredrik Hasselquist 
Peter Forsskål 
Andreas Berlin 
Adam Afzelius 
Anders Sparrman 
Carl Peter Thunberg 
Pehr Osbeck 
Olof Torén 
Carl Fredrik Adler 
Christopher Tärnström 
Daniel Solander 
The Thora Ohlsson Foundation, Lund, Sweden
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