Lost Animals : Extinction and the Photographic Record

A photograph of an extinct animal evokes a greater feeling of loss than any painting ever could. Often black and white or tinted sepia, these remarkable images have been taken mainly in zoos or wildlife parks, and in some cases depict the last known individual of the species. Lost Animals is a unique photographic record of extinction, presented by a world authority on vanished animals. Richly illustrated throughout, this handsome book features photographs dating from around 1870 to as recently as 2004, the year that witnessed the demise of the Hawaiian Po'ouli. From a mother Thylacine and her pups to birds such as the Heath Hen and the Carolina Parakeet, Errol Fuller tells the story of each animal, explains why it became extinct, and discusses the circumstances surrounding the photography. Covering 28 extinct species, Lost Animals includes familiar examples like the last Passenger Pigeon, Martha, and one of the last Ivory-billed Woodpeckers, photographed as it peers quizzically at the hat of one of the biologists who has just ringed it. But the book includes rare images as well, many never before published. Collected together here for the first time, these photographs provide a tangible link to animals that have now vanished forever, in a book that brings the past to life while delivering a warning for the future. Poignant and compelling, Lost Animals also includes a concise introduction that looks at the earliest days of animal photography, and an appendix of drawings and paintings of the species covered. Caught on camera prior to their demise, this book reveals the surprisingly rich photographic record of now-extinct animals. A photograph of an animal long-gone evokes a feeling of loss more than a painting ever can. Often tinted sepia or black-and-white, these images were mainly taken in zoos or wildlife parks, and in a handful of cases featured the last known individual of the species. There are some familiar examples, such as Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon, or the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, recently fledged and perching happily on the hat of one of the biologists that had just ringed it. But for every Martha there are a number of less familiar extinct birds and mammals that were caught on camera. The photographic record of extinction is the focus of this remarkable book, written by the world's leading authority on vanished animals, Errol Fuller. Lost Animals features photographs dating from around 1870 to as recently as 2004, the year that saw the demise of the Hawaiian Po'ouli. From a mother Thylacine and her pups to now-extinct birds such as the Heath Hen and Carolina Parakeet, Fuller tells the tale of each animal, why it became extinct, and discusses the circumstances surrounding the photography itself, in a book rich with unique images. The photographs themselves are poignant and compelling. They provide a tangible link to animals that have now vanished forever, in a book that brings the past to life while delivering a warning for the future. A Photograph Of An Animal Long-gone Evokes A Feeling Of Loss More Than A Painting Ever Can. Often Tinted Sepia Or Black-and-white, These Images Were Mainly Taken In Zoos Or Wildlife Parks, And In A Handful Of Cases Featured The Last Known Individual Of The Species. There Are Some Familiar Examples, Such As Martha, The Last Passenger Pigeon, Or The Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Recently Fledged And Perching Happily On The Hat Of One Of The Biologists That Had Just Ringed It. Atitlan Giant Grebe -- Alatora Grebe -- Pink-headed Duck -- Heath Hen -- Wake Island Rail -- Laysan Rail -- Eskimo Curlew -- Passenger Pigeon -- Carolina Parakeet -- Paradise Parrot -- Laughing Owl -- Ivory-billed Woodpecker -- Imperial Woodpecker -- New Zealand Bush Wren -- Aldabra Brush Warbler -- Bachman's Warbler -- Kaua'i'o'o -- O'u -- Mamo -- Po'ouli -- Guam Flycatcher -- Thylacine -- Greater Short-tailed Bat -- Caribbean Monk Seal -- Yangtze River Dolphin -- Quagga -- Schomburgk's Deer -- Bubal Hartebeest. By Errol Fuller.