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Stephen C. Quinn

Windows on Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History Hardcover – March 1, 2006

by Stephen Christopher Quinn (Author)

4.9 39 ratings

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New York City's American Museum of Natural History is a national treasure, attracting four million visitors annually. Its dioramas-a dazzling mixture of nature, science, and art-have inspired young and old alike, and are world-renowned examples of the unique diorama craft: art in the service of science. Now, in the only book of its kind, readers get an insider's view of these "windows on nature," witnessing their creation step by meticulous step.

More than forty of the museum's finest dioramas are featured here, depicting the fauna and flora of myriad ecological environments. Stephen Quinn, a diorama artist at the museum, introduces the explorers, naturalists, painters, sculptors, taxidermists, and conservationists behind these three-dimensional marvels, and explains how their collaborations make the displays so lifelike. This enchanting book is the perfect gift for nature lovers, art enthusiasts, and museum goers everywhere.

Print length

180 pages
Language

English
Publisher

American Museum of Natural History/Harry N. Abrams
Publication date

March 1, 2006
Grade level

8 and up
Reading age

13 years and up
Dimensions

10.25 x 0.75 x 11.38 inches
ISBN-10

0810959402
ISBN-13

978-0810959408
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephen Christopher Quinn joined the staff of the American Museum of Natural History in 1974. As senior project manager for exhibitions, Quinn oversees all aspects of new diorama creation, conservation, and restoration. A longtime member of the Society of Animal Artists, Quinn lives in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ American Museum of Natural History/Harry N. Abrams; First Edition (March 1, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 180 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0810959402
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0810959408
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.7 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.25 x 0.75 x 11.38 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,272,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #810 in Photography Collections & Exhibitions (Books)
- #1,428 in Biology of Wildlife
- #2,292 in Ecology (Books)

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4.9 39 ratings

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4.9 out of 5

39 global ratings

5 star		88%
4 star		12%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Dianne Gall

Prompt Delivery, exactly as described

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 28, 2022

Verified Purchase

Really happy with my purchase, in good condition, arrived before it was due.

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Stacy Bellon

Wonderful book; get one if you can find one.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 30, 2021

Verified Purchase

I had this in my hands in the second-floor gift shop at the museum. I passed. It nagged me for years. Thank you for for the closure! --Jeff

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Reviewer

Step Inside the Dioramas

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 3, 2010

Verified Purchase

I have been going to the American Museum of Natural History since about age 4 (I am long past four...and even forty!) Unlike other things that were fun in childhood and diminish in interest with age, the American Museum of Natural History continues to fascinate me. This book has added a whole new dimension to that fascination.

I never fully appreciated the artistry that went into these dioramas - and it is not a hyperbole to say blood sweat and tears as several exhibition leaders were attacked by animals or died of illness collecting these specimens.

This book is a combination of beautifully done photographs (far better than anything you can get with your camera there), stories of the people that made the dioramas and extensive information on how the dioramas were made, covering the taxidermy, scene painting, and other modeling.

Read this before you visit and it will enhance your trip there. Read it after and you'll want to go back! Highly recommended.

2 people found this helpful

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H. Robinson

This book is beyond wonderful! For anyone who grew up in New York ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 21, 2015

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This book is beyond wonderful! For anyone who grew up in New York City, and visited the Museum of Natural History (school trip?) this will bring back memories of standing in front of these huge, realistic dioramas with your mouth open! Guests of the Museum hardly ever think how they got there, who painted them, how they did the research. This book will make you fall in love all over again. Hard to believe that these marvelous paintings were done 50-75 years ago, and they have never been moved out for a more modern exhibit! That's classy!

3 people found this helpful

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Victoria

Quickly captures your attention

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 14, 2014

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I barely looked up from this book once I received it. The stories behind the dioramas are out of this world, and nothing like you would expect. My two favorites were "Leopard" and "Mandrill", both sharing chilling accounts of how an animal specimen was acquired and the real life danger that accompanied every expedition. I never gave much thought to the idea that the displays were once very much alive and wild, but this book gave me a whole new a whole new perspective.

One person found this helpful

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yongl

Great but somewhat lacking?

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 21, 2012

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The snippets and behind-the-scenes look at how the various dioramas were originally conceived, researched and designed are both insightful and refreshing. It educates the reader on how each dioramic display was painstakingly recreated to portray the most authentic environment that the different taxidermised animals would have roamed, grazed and hunted.
A great read - the only 'complaint' I have is that it features very heavily on Northern American wildlife and very little on Asian, African and South American wildlife. Perhaps a Volume 2 of 'WINDOWS ON NATURE' can be considered to fill that void.

One person found this helpful

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sniff

Beautiful and interesting

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 21, 2016

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Beautiful and interesting. A great way to find out about the adventurers who collected the animals and the artists who constructed the dioramas in the Museum. Also describes how the dioramas are maintained. Best as a pre or post trip to the Museum itself.

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Don Lagerberg

Beautiful and a bit haunting

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 9, 2013

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Beautiful photos the capture the dream-like quality of the diorama. Although the intent is mostly in the realm of natural science, the effect is one of marvelous illusionism and has an unavoidable surreality. The making-of aspect is fascinating. This is a good book for the general museum audience but especially for educators, scientists, artists and taxidermists.

3 people found this helpful

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Sébastien Jacques

Excellent book

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on February 11, 2023

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Very instructive and interesting, high quality pictures; I’m very satisfied!

Helmut W.

Wunderschön!

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on August 27, 2014

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Der Blick hinter die Kulissen der Entstehung und Gestaltung der Großdioramen gepaart mit sehr vielen wunderschönen und großformatigen Abbildungen machen dieses Buch zu einem echtem Schmuckstück.

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Cédric

Super livre très instructif !

Reviewed in France 🇫🇷 on March 10, 2018

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Ce livre est magique ! Très beau et instructif. Il est entièrement en anglais, il faut donc soit prendre le temps de traduire, soit parler couramment la langue.

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SYD CURIOUS

THE WILD

Reviewed in France 🇫🇷 on July 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

Un livre qui arrive à retranscrire toute l'atmosphère si particulière de ce musée d'histoire naturelle à nul autre pareil... UNE REUSSITE !!!

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Windows on Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History Hardcover – March 1, 2006

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