Gustav Torssell

{{Short description|Swedish printer, publisher, and naturalist (1811–1849)}}

'''Gustav Torssell''' (born 28 April 1811 in Tynnelsö – died 5 February 1849 in Uppsala)<ref name="Grummann 1974"/> was a Swedish printer, publisher, and naturalist who worked in Uppsala and Falun. He made contributions to both lichenology and journalism during his relatively short life.

Torssell is known for his work on lichens, publishing ''Enumeratio Lichenum et Byssacerum Scandinaviae'' ("Enumeration of lichens and Byssaceae of Scandinavia") (1843), a systematic catalogue of Scandinavian lichens. In 1845, responding to the crop failure and resulting famine of 1844, he published ''Anvisning till nödbrödsämnen–om användandet af lafvar till föda'' ("Guide to famine bread ingredients–on using lichens as food"), a practical guide describing how to use four species of lichen for making bread. This publication included actual herbarium specimens to help readers identify the useful species: ''Cetraria islandica'', ''Cladonia rangiferina'', ''Cetraria nivalis'', and ''Ramalina fraxinea''.<ref name="Arvidsson 1999"/>

In journalism, Torssell founded the newspaper ''Thorgny'' in Uppsala following the influential Nordic student meeting of 1843.<ref name="Frängsmyr 2018"/><ref name="Frängsmyr 2021"/> The paper, published twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays, was named after Torgny the Lawspeaker, a figure who experienced renewed popularity in 19th-century Scandinavian and liberal circles. Under Torssell's leadership, Thorgny became an important forum for discussing Scandinavist ideas and other contemporary issues. However, due to Torssell's declining health, the newspaper ceased publication in 1845, though it was effectively succeeded by a new publication called ''Upsala'', founded the same year.<ref name="Frängsmyr 2018"/><ref name="Frängsmyr 2021"/>

==References== {{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="Arvidsson 1999">{{cite book |last=Arvidsson |first=Lars |year=1999 |chapter=A survey of lichenologists in Sweden during the 19th century |title=Swedish Lichenology |series=Symbolae Botanicae Upsaliensis |volume=32 |issue=2 |publisher=Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis |location=Uppsala |editor-first1=Jan-Eric |editor-last1=Mattsson |editor-first2=Mats |editor-last2=Wedin |editor-first3=Inga |editor-last3=Hedberg |isbn=978-9155441081 |pages=23–60 [42]}}</ref>

<ref name="Grummann 1974">{{cite book |last=Grummann |first=Vitus |title=Biographisch-bibliographisches Handbuch der Lichenologie |trans-title=Biographical-bibliographical Handbook of Lichenology |publisher=J. Cramer |publication-place=Lehre |year=1974 |isbn=978-3-7682-0907-6 |oclc=1375447 |language=de |page=483}}</ref>

<ref name="Frängsmyr 2018">{{cite thesis |last=Frängsmyr |first=Av Carl |title=När skandinavismen kom till Uppsala Studentmötet 1843 – en tillbakablick. Promotionsfesten i Uppsala den 1 juni 2018 |publisher=Uppsala universitet |publication-place=Uppsala |date=1 June 2018 |isbn=978-91-513-0333-8 |language=da |pages=22–23 |url=https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1197950/FULLTEXT01.pdf}}</ref>

<ref name="Frängsmyr 2021">{{cite book |last=Frängsmyr |first=Carl |title=Akademiska interiörer |publisher=Uppsala Universitet |publication-place=Uppsala |year=2021 |series=Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. C. Organisation och Historia |volume=119 |editor-last1=Göranson |editor-first1=Ulf |isbn=978-91-513-1082-4 |language=sv |page=30}}</ref>

}}

Category:1811 births Category:1849 deaths Category:Swedish lichenologists Category:People from Strängnäs Municipality