Swift as a Shadow [Paperback]

Rosamond Purcell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 17, 1999

"In the early nineteenth century there were so many passenger pigeons that the sky darkened when they flew overhead; it took three days for flocks to pass. They were killed by hunters or disappeared when their oak and beech habitats were destroyed. The last bird, named Martha (only the last of any species seems to merit a human name), died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1905." Here, in photographs and words, are stirring reminders of wild beauty that is no more, as well as profiles of species whose survival is in peril. Rosamond Purcell's seventy spectacular color photographs--taken primarily at the Natural History Museum in Leiden, Holland, which holds the world's most extensive collection of lost species--tell a haunting and foreboding tale.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With the text by the staff of the National Museum of Natural History in Leiden, the Netherlands, Swift as a Shadow: Extinction and Endangered Animals provides a stunning record of disappeared and disappearing species. Rosamond Purcell's 105 striking, full-color photographs preserve the beauty of the passenger pigeon, great plains wolf, California condor, American bald eagle, Javan tiger, Sumatran hare, green sea turtle, bird wing butterfly and Japanese sea lion, among many others." (Publishers Weekly )

"Purcell captures brilliantly the plumage of some creatures that will never take flight again--" (The Star Tribune )

"Purcell, ever seeking oddness, turns her lens upon the Blue Antelope, the Pig-Footed Bandicoot, and other extinct and endangered animals preserved in the Natural History Museum of the Netherlands. Her photographs capture their haunting beauty and intense, glassy-eyed stares. Museum curators provide brief histories of each species' demise." -- [Editor's Choice] (The Village Voice )

About the Author

Rosamond Purcell, the acclaimed author and photographer of the recently published Special Cases and Swift As A Shadow, has lent her unique photographs to books by Stephen Jay Gould and F. Gonzalez-Crussi. A regular contributor to The Sciences, her photographs have also appeared in Ms., Smithsonian, The Atlantic Monthly, Harvard Magazine, Omni, and many international publications. She lives in Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (June 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395892287
• ISBN-13: 978-0395892282
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,679,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An urgent sense of loss..., March 2, 2000

By 

Andrew R Esposito - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swift as a Shadow (Paperback)

Each photograph of Swift as a Shadow greets the reader as a quick slap in the face. The range of 'grotesquely beautiful' images leaves the reader with a sense of helplessness when the initial awe of beauty turns to the realisation that in most cases the creatures displayed are gone forever. The multitude of animals, birds and even fish represented is an amazing array seldom found in one volume. Some animals represented are quagga, barbary lion, thyacine, javan tiger. The birds are an extensive collection (usually more than one example) representing most of the infamous and unfortunate extinctions of our time; Carolina Parakeets, Passenger Pigeons, Great Auk, Pink Headed Duck, Labrador Duck, Paradise Parrots (amazing!) Huias plus Dodo bones and Elephant Bird eggs to name a few!

Text is sparse, and given the stark, sometimes ghoulish photgraphic reality, this is not a detraction from the books theme. All photographs are high gloss quality, if a little detail restricted by 'photographing for arts' sake' eg; back neck view only of the quagga, skin pattern only of the Balinese Tiger. I'm sure that enthusiasts of endangered animals will now strongly consider a visit to the Natuurhistorisch Museum of Leiden, Netherlands, once in their lifetime.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dissapointed by conservative use of pictures., January 24, 2001

By 

Greg Specht (Tucson, AZ. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Swift as a Shadow (Paperback)

I'm afraid I was dissapointed in the book. Either it was a lame attempt at an artsy style or there was a decision to try and keep costs down by limiting the number of photographs. In way too many cases the photographer seemed to be obsessed with dramatic lighting of extreme closeups. Although the photos were well done, in very few cases were there full body pictures. In other cases the head would be brightly lit while the rest of the body (of what there was included) would be in deep shadow. The most dissapointing were the Cuban Macaw, and the Cape and Barbary Lions. The text, although well written, was also very sparce, and could have used some map diagrams to show population ranges. In short, there was a lot of empty space that could have been filled with photographs and information. The only reason I would reccomend the book is that as far as I know its the only one of its kind. I sincerely hope someday another book will be made with more descriptive text, and several photographs of various angles for a more "scientific" and comprehensive coverage. Those stuffed animals will not last forever and there is definitly a need for a well documented record.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great & Creepy, January 26, 2000

By 

Roland Kays (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swift as a Shadow (Paperback)

The photos in this book are not images you want to put in your child's nusery, but they tell the story of animal extinction better than any post-card shot could. This book highlights the finality of extinction as well as the importance of natural history museums.