Finders, Keepers: Eight Collectors [Paperback]

Stephen Jay Gould (Author), Rosamond Purcell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 1994

Most of us collect things, but seldom have entire collections been preserved.

A few that did survive have fallen, figuratively, into the clutches of two of America's most innovative minds: photographer Rosamond Wolff Purcell and paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould. What these collections say about the collectors, and about human beings in general, is the subject of this strangely beautiful and rich compendium. Here are Purcell's wonderfully exotic photographs of teeth and other human artifacts from the collection of Peter the Great; moles, pigs, and dogs from van Heurn's many boxes of perfectly preserved skins; and all manner of preserved life from Rothschild's Birds of Paradise to the fish of Agassiz. Here also is Gould at his best, delighting in the unusual and making connections to our own history and evolution that only the most fertile and whimsical mind could imagine - and that few will be able to resist. This is a book for those with a craving for beauty, knowledge, and a fascination with the unusual.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Purcell's color photographs of historic collections of taxidermy, fossils and other exotic artifacts are accompanied by an essay by Gould.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002) was the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology and Professor of Geology at Harvard University. He published over twenty books, received the National Book and National Book Critics Circle Awards, and a MacArthur Fellowship.

Rosamond Purcell is the author of Bookworm and Owls Head. She lives in Medford, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (January 17, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393310876
• ISBN-13: 978-0393310870
• Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 18.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,896,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lush, fascinating view of collecting and natural history October 7, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

One of the most beautiful books I own, combining Purcell's precise and beautiful photographs with Gould's intelligent and accessible writing. Finders, Keepers combines the diversity of living things, history, scholarship and art in an immaculately designed and printed whole. Absolutely stunning from start to finish.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Eight Collectors Collecting May 4, 2001

By Marc Ruby™ HALL OF FAMEVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I have to start out by confessing that I bought this book for the pictures. I am fascinated by the photography of the grotesque, and Rosamond Purcell holds high rank in this rarified genre. She is noted both for her own original work and her recording (museum, collection, etc.) work. Her photography in "Finders, Keepers" is remarkable, strong carefully composed images with lush color. Just as notable is her reliance on natural light and the simplest of Nikon cameras and lenses.

The only part of the book I originally read was Purcell's Afterword. It is a delightful exposition on her romance with collectors and museums, revealing a thoughtful, philosophical professional with a strong creative sense. After that much reading I was satisfied, and the book took its place on my shelves with Purcell's other works, to be referred to when opportunities of my own appeared.

Having decided to review it, I discovered, to my embarrassment, that the book was actually about something. The text, far from being the filler that often appears in photographic volumes, turned out to be a series of gemlike studies of eight collectors of note, consisting of Peter the Great, Phillip Von Siebold, Willern Von Heurn, Eugen Dubois, Walter Rothschild, Agostino Scilla, Thomas Hawkins and Louis Agassiz . Some of these men are popularly famous and others are known only to other naturalists, but they are all interesting. Their collections, sometimes known only from fragments are breathtaking.

The author of these essays is Stephen Gould, paleontologist and occupant of the Alexander Agassiz Chair of Zoology and Curator at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. Despite these rather awe inspiring credentials his style is delightfully accessible as he reveals each collector's life and passion to the reader.... If you like paleontology, or natural history, or glances into the strange mind of the collector you will find this a refreshingly pleasant volume, providing an equal share of education and delight. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Study nature,not books" Louis Agassiz April 10, 2009

By J. Guild TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

I have a personal collection of over 1200 books on Natural History.A large number of my books are about Birds and I have been an avid Birdwatcher for over 20 years. I have also assembled a collection of Minerals and Fossils.Therefore, books of exquisite photographs and descriptions of museum collections and writings about the great pioneers in the study of Natural History are something with which I am quite familiar.When I picked this book up,I did so after only quickly flipping the pages.The high quality of the paper,printing and photography was immediately obvious.As a bit of a collector myself,I never hesitate to acquire a book about collecting,collectors and even museums.

As I started reading this book,I was immediately impressed with it. As much as I have read about famous personalities in Natural History,there were big surprises in store for me. The first impression of this book quickly changed for me,and I found it really got to the heart and soul of the great Naturalists and Collectors.
As an avid Birder,I am very aware of the ongoing debate as to whether Photographs or Illustrations or Drawings are better when trying to describe the various species. Until the development of computer enhancement of photographs,generally the preference has been for illustrations.It was very interesting to see how this issue was so well discussed and demonstrated with fossils. The same points come up when discussing the merits of various Bird Field Guides available today.
The book also shows the wide range of personality traits these great Naturalists had,as well as touching on the rivalries that occurred among them....
The photography in the book is simply awesome ,and as one would expect, the text and knowledge that is always with Gould's writing makes this book something spectacular.
After finishing my first read ,I was convinced it it is a book that will be read again.
Impressed as I was with the book;I decided to see what it was selling for ,particularly on the used book sites.It didn't surprise that it is commanding prices several times its original published price.I suggest that anyone who appreciates excellent Natural History and the excellent books that have been published about it ,seriously think about acquiring this book. Read more ›