Book ID: CBB001251197

A Glorious Enterprise: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Making of American Science (2012)

unapi

Peck, Robert McCracken (Author)
Stroud, Patricia Tyson (Author)
Purcell, Rosamond Wolff (Author)


University of Pennsylvania Press


Publication Date: 2012
Physical Details: xvii + 437 pp.; ill.; bibl.; index
Language: English

Founded in 1812, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia stands today as the oldest natural history museum in the Western hemisphere. Early expeditions organized at the Academy were of central importance to the exploration of America's western wilderness, and the plant and animal specimens that were brought back formed the foundation of a collection that today contains some eighteen million items. What began as a small gathering of devoted amateurs has grown into a vibrant international center for scientific education and research. A Glorious Enterprise, the first complete history of the Academy, tells the story of the brilliant and passionate men and women who endeavored to acquire and disseminate knowledge of the natural world. Thomas Jefferson, John James Audubon, Robert Peary, Ernest Hemingway, and James Bond are just a few of the colorful Academy associates profiled in this lively narrative. Naturalist and historian Robert McCracken Peck and historical biographer Patricia Tyson Stroud take readers behind the scenes of the Academy, recounting the signal moments and achievements that shaped its first two hundred years---from its landmark discoveries in North America and around the world, through the construction of its famed dioramas in the 1930s, to the pioneering work of Academy scientists in water pollution and conservation long before these were topics of popular concern. The book is richly illustrated throughout with hundreds of archival images and stunningly original works by acclaimed photographer Rosamond Purcell that cast specimens from the Academy's collections in a new light. Like Academy members on a quest for wondrous specimens, lovers of the sciences, American history, museums, and libraries will want to add A Glorious Enterprise to their collections. Filled with lively anecdotes, captivating biographical details, and fascinating facts, this beautiful and enlightening history will be treasured for years to come.

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Reviewed By

Review Brinkman, Paul D. (2013) Review of "A Glorious Enterprise: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Making of American Science". Archives of Natural History (pp. 175-176). unapi

Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001251197/

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Authors & Contributors
Madsen-Brooks, Leslie
Lesser, Thomas A.
Davey, Colin
Roosevelt, Kermit, III
Sease, Kasey Marie
Rieppel, Lukas Benjamin
Concepts
Natural history
Museums
Societies; institutions; academies
Botany
Science and society
Paleontology
Time Periods
19th century
20th century
20th century, early
21st century
18th century
Places
United States
Philadelphia, PA
Italy
France
Australia
Great Britain
Institutions
Smithsonian Institution
American Museum of Natural History
California Academy of Sciences
University of California, Berkeley
Museum für Naturkunde (Berlin)
National Museum of Natural History (U.S.)
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