Life Through the Ages: A Commemorative Edition [Hardcover]

Charles R. Knight (Author)

Book Description

Series: Life of the Past | Publication Date: September 15, 2001

First published in 1946, Charles R. Knight's Life Through the Ages was for many a beloved first look at the strange animals of the prehistoric past. For much of the 20th century, Knight's reconstructions were the key resource for popular images of ancient life. His paintings and drawings were displayed as part of museum exhibits, notably at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the Field Museum in Chicago, were used as illustrations in numerous books and magazine articles, and even influenced movie portrayals of dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts. Knight's work was highly regarded both for its artistic skill and for its scientific accuracy, closely based as it was on the knowledge of its time. Although new discoveries and ongoing research have changed the view of many of the animals depicted by Knight, his work remains valuable and is still treasured by the new generations of scientists and paleoartists.
For this Commemorative Edition, many of Knight's original drawings were re-photographed. A new Foreword by Stephen Jay Gould reflects on Knight's work, and a new Introduction by Philip J. Currie discusses recent scientific findings and Knight's restorations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charles Robert Knight (1874-1953) was a distinguished paleoartist. His work remains on display at the American Museum of Natural History, the Field Museum and elsewhere, where it continues to inspire viewers with its wonderfully detailed reconstructions of lost works and long extinct animals.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press; A Commemorative Edition edition (September 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253339286
• ISBN-13: 978-0253339287
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 10.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,136,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars disappointed, February 21, 2007

By 

Professor Emeritus P. Bagnolo "Slugger/BIGGUY" (DOWNTOWN NYC/Chic. NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Life Through the Ages: A Commemorative Edition (Hardcover)

In my undergraduate days, vying for a Ford Foundation Fellowship against stiff competition, (which I won), I was mentored by the great Lothar Witteborg, then Chair of the Department of Exhibition of the Field Museum of Natural History, with complete carte Blanche to roam the museum at will, study and note behind the scenes activities. There, in the midst of a triple BA, in Architectural Exhibit Design, Painting and Anthropology, I was captivated by the huge murals Charles Robert Knight throughout the building.

I was expecting a book with full color reproductions of his murals. I should have read the details but I got it confused with the full color calendar, so I ordered the wrong item. This book, though the cover is in color is full of only black and white pencil/charcoal preliminary sketches of paintings to come. So, if that is what you are looking for, this is the book, but if you want color images, this is not.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The life of genius and inspiration, August 29, 2005

By 

Richard A. Tucker "Tucker at large" (Pembroke Pines, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Life Through the Ages: A Commemorative Edition (Hardcover)

Charles R. Knight was the man who brought dinosaurs to life through study, passion and patience. This book highlights his drawings and his insights into the prehistoric world at a time when scientists were truly making an effort to understand life in the primal days of earth's natural history. Charles Knight was originally a visualist and a stunning one at that. As his passion for the recreation of the prehistoric world grew so did his overwhelming efforts to understand his subjects and the worlds they inhabited. This book is work of love for those subjects but it is also a thoughtful work of scientific observation relying on all the evidence available at that time. Some may be disappointed in the art because it's presented in black and white as drawings or paintings reproduced without Knight's beautiful color pallete represented. Despite that, this book is a rarity and it's art is still a pleasure to see and well reproduced, and the written descriptions of life in those ancient days along with scientific information that is represented are still evocative and educational to the reader. Even the dated aspect of that information sheds light on the dedication and the hard work that went into compiling this book when it was first produced.
It's good to see this book brought back into print and it is a worthy contribution to the study of paleontology and the history of that scientific study.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bit pricey, but worth it!, May 28, 2007

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Linda A. Malcor (Lake Forest, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Life Through the Ages: A Commemorative Edition (Hardcover)

This is a beautiful book that my fourth-grade son used for his report on Charles Knight. It's an excellent gift for anyone who is serious about the tpe of art Charles Knight produced for museums. It's also valuable for people who are interested in designing figures for animation.