P. Dasziewicz & A. M. Bauer, 2006. Specimens from the second collection of Albertus Seba in Poland: the natural history cabinet of Anna Jablonowska (1728-1800). Bibliotheca Herpetologica 6(2): 16-20 [portrait]. - Edit

Princess Anna Jablonowska was one of the most powerful and influential women of 18th century Europe. She was a member of one of the larger and richer families of the powerful Polish state and is remembered chiefly for her political and economic activities. Following the death of her husband, Voivode Jan Kajetan Jab∏onowska of Brac∏aw, in 1764 she served (1768-1772) as an unofficial member of the political and military union of Polish nobility, The Confederation of Bar. Later she supported the insurrection of Tadeusz Kościuszko and in 1794-95 she was active in military opposition to Russian control in Poland. On the economic front, she was progressive, implementing various social and health care reforms on her extensive properties (Jab∏onowska 1786-87; Miszta-Chorobińska 1978). Jab∏onowska was also influential with respect to agriculture and forestryand she translated a number of works on the practical aspects of nature from English and French to Polish. Jabonowska’s interests extended broadly to the natural sciences and, like many wealthy nobles of the time, she amassed a private cabinet of natural curiosities. This cabinet was considered one of more important natural history collections in Europe in the 18th Century. It was undoubtedly the largest such collection in Poland during this period and only the collection of Jakob Theodor Klein (1685-1759), originator of the term herpetology, in Gdansk may have been comparable in scope and quality. - Edit