Henry Dresser and Victorian ornithology: Birds, books and business

by Henry A. McGhie

Overview

This book explores the life of Henry Dresser (1838-1915), one of the most productive British ornithologists of the mid-late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and is largely based on previously unpublished archival material. Dresser travelled widely and spent time in Texas during the American Civil War. He built enormous collections of skins and eggs of birds from Europe, North America and Asia, which formed the basis of over 100 publications, including some of the finest bird books of the late nineteenth century. Dresser was a leading figure in scientific society and in the early bird conservation movement; his correspondence and diaries reveal the inner workings, motivations, personal relationships and rivalries that existed among the leading ornithologists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526116024
Publisher:	Manchester University Press
Publication date:	11/20/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	368
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Henry A. McGhie is Head of Collections and Curator of Zoology at Manchester Museum, the University of Manchester

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Family background and early life

2. Texas: the big adventure

3. Settling down to business

4. Early exploits in ornithological society

5. Collecting

6. 'Discovering' the birds of Europe I

7. 'Discovering' the birds of Europe II

8. 'Making' the birds of Europe

9. A central figure: society life in the 1870s

10. The 1880s: the rise of rivalry

11. The 1890s: the continuing rise of the British Museum (Natural History)

12. Working independently: 1900-5

13. The grand finale: the 'Eggs of the Birds of Europe'

14. Time for a change

15. Legacies

Appendix 1. Birds mentioned in the text

Appendix 2. Birds named by Henry Dresser

Appendix 3. Birds named after Henry Dresser

Appendix 4. Publications based on Henry Dresser's collections 1985-2015

References

Bibliography of Henry Dresser's publications

Index

Editorial Reviews

‘This is a magnificent exploration of (British) Victorian ornithology, which brings to life many of the key figures of the period with their frequently very strained relationships.’
Alan Knox, British Birds l l l , January 2018

‘The title (and concept behind the title) promises exciting and entertaining reading.’
‘A book with a strong central plot/thread. A look at the past with relevance to the future. Definitely worth a read.’
Karl Schulze-Hagen, Vogelwarte

‘Historians and scientists will find the book engaging, and Manchester UniversityPress has done an impressive job of reproducing an enormous number of illustrations and plates (including some beautiful colour ones).’
Paul Lawrence Farber, Annals of Science, January 2018

‘The book itself is comprehensive but remains eminently readable, and as such it constitutes an important addition to the history of ornithology.’
Peter Lack, British Trust for Ornithology

‘Henry Dresser was one of the leading ornithologists in Britain during the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th. In this book, Henry McGhie has drawn on previously unpublished diaries, letters and photographs held in Manchester Museum and archives held elsewhere, and written a vivid and comprehensive biography of this key figure … This is an informative, entertaining and generously illustrated book, representing excellent value.’
Bob McGowan, Scottish Birds

‘This fine book includes 38 pages of references and a detailed bibliography of Dresser's own works. The coloured illustrations are beautifully reproduced: a drake Steller's Eider Polsticita stelleri looks as if it has just popped out of the Varanger Fjord, and even the endpapers have a lovely series of swan heads by Keulemans.’
IBIS, David Balance, International journal of avian science

‘In 2000, Henry McGhie joined the Manchester Museum, and the day he arrived, he opened a large box and saw diaries, letters, and photographs from henry Dresser. As he read the diaries and letters, he became fascinated with Dresser, and he later found more of his correspondence in other museums. The Manchester Museum also contained Dresser's extensive collection of bird skins. Eventually, McGhie had access to enough information to write a biography. McGhie's main audience is obviously readers in the UK, but anyone with a general interest in the history of ornithology will enjoy McGhie's survey of social history when Dresser was active. Author and publisher deserve praise for producing this attractive book with fine colored plates.’
Frank N. Egerton, University of Wesconsin-Parkside, Journal of Field Ornithology

‘I found this fascinating book revealing a period in natural history which I thought I knew more about, until now. But then to borrow the much used words of L.P. Hartley, 'the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there.' One acquaintance described Dresser as 'possessed of demoniacal energy, boundless enthusiasm and immense application'; all the main attributes, I am sure you will agree, of the very best modern biological recorder.’
Stephen Moran, Highland News

‘McGhie mines a rich trove of primary and secondary sources to bring his subject to life in Henry Dresser and Victorian ornithology. While the broad outlines of Dresser’s ornithological trajectory will be familiar to historians of natural history, this excellent biography provides many fascinating and worthwhile details.’
Mark V. Barrow, Jr, ISIS, Vol. 110, No. 1 (March 2019)

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