Description
From Aztec accounts of hibernating hummingbirds to contemporary television spectaculars, human encounters with nature have long sparked wonder, curiosity and delight. Written by leading scholars, this richly illustrated volume offers a lively introduction to the history of natural history, from the sixteenth century to the present day. Covering an extraordinary range of topics, from curiosity cabinets and travelling menageries to modern seed banks and radio-tracked wildlife, this volume draws together the work of historians of science, of environment and of art, museum curators and literary scholars. The essays are framed by an introduction charting recent trends in the field and an epilogue outlining the prospects for the future. Accessible to newcomers and established specialists alike, Worlds of Natural History provides a much-needed perspective on current discussions of biodiversity and an enticing overview of an increasingly vital aspect of human history.
Table of Contents
Introduction: worlds of history Nicholas Jardine and Emma Spary; Part I. Early Modern Ventures: 1. Visions of ancient natural history Brian W. Ogilvie; 2. Gessner's history of nature Sachiko Kusukawa; 3. Natural history in the apothecary's shop Valentina Pugliano; 4. Horticultural networking and sociable citation Leah Knight; 5. European exchanges and communities Florike Egmond; 6. Making monsters Natalie Lawrence; 7. Indigenous naturalists Iris Montero Sobrevilla; 8. Insects, philosophy and the microscope Eric Jorink; Part II. Enlightened Orders: 9. The materials of natural history Paula Findlen and Anna Toledano; 10. Experimental natural history Mary Terrall; 11. Spatial arrangement and systematic order Robert Felfe; 12. Linnaean paper tools Staffan Müller-Wille; 13. Image and nature Kärin Nickelsen; 14. Botanical conquistadors Daniela Bleichmar; 15. Bird sellers and animal merchants Christopher Plumb; 16. Vegetable empire Miles Ogborn; Part III. Publics and Empires: 17. Containers and collections Anne Secord; 18. Natural history and the scientific voyage Katharine Anderson; 19. Humboldt's exploration at a distance Sandra Rebok; 20. Publics and practices Lynn K. Nyhart; 21. Museum nature Samuel J. M. M. Alberti; 22. Peopling natural history Sadiah Qureshi; 23. The oils of empire Sujit Sivasundaram; Part IV. Connecting and Conserving: 24. Global geology and the tectonics of empire James A. Secord; 25. Zoological gardens Mitchell G. Ash; 26. Provincializing global botany Jung Lee; 27. Descriptive and prescriptive taxonomies Jim Endersby; 28. Imperiled crops and endangered flowers Helen Anne Curry; 29. Networks of natural history in Latin America Regina Horta Duarte; 30. The unnatural history of postwar human biology Joanna Radin; 31. Fieldwork out of place Etienne Benson; 32. Wild visions Morgan Richards; Epilogue: natural history and its histories in the twenty-first century Helen Anne Curry and James A. Secord.
