Book reviews: Henry Dresser and Victorian Ornithology: Birds, Books and Business

Anyone with prior knowledge regarding the practices of nineteenth-century ornithology will be aware that it was a particularly blood-soaked episode in the history of the life sciences. Perhaps the most provocative aspect of Henry McGhie's book is the short epilogue in which he makes an impassio...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inBritish Journal for the History of Science Vol. 51; no. 4; pp. 709 - 710
Main Author Wale, Matthew
Format Book Review
LanguageEnglish
Published Norwich Cambridge University Press 01.12.2018
Subjects
19th century
Birds
Museums
Natural history
Ornithology
Zoology
United States > US
Texas
Europe
Finland
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Anyone with prior knowledge regarding the practices of nineteenth-century ornithology will be aware that it was a particularly blood-soaked episode in the history of the life sciences. Perhaps the most provocative aspect of Henry McGhie's book is the short epilogue in which he makes an impassioned case for the continued relevance of museum specimen collections, the bulk of which were amassed through the exertions of Victorian naturalists. In his role as head of collections and curator of zoology at Manchester Museum, McGhie has direct access to Dresser's specimens and associated correspondence.
ISSN:0007-0874
1474-001X
DOI:10.1017/S0007087418000857