Natural Things in Early Modern Worlds

Natural Things in Early Modern Worlds explores the relationships between natural things and humans across early modern worlds, revealing connected histories through the displacement of natural things. Combining original visualizations with the history of science, the book offers new perspectives on nature and collecting for museum-goers, scholars, scientists, and students.

Format: Hardback
Length: 396 pages
Publication date: 09 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The essays and original visualizations collected in Natural Things in Early Modern Worlds delve into the intricate relationships between natural phenomena, encompassing a wide range of elements from microscopic pollen particles to carnivorous pitcher plants and armadillos with shell-like skin. Spanning from the 1500s to the early 1900s, these episodes reveal interconnected histories across diverse early modern worlds as natural objects traversed the Indian Ocean, the Ottoman Empire, Pacific islands, Southeast Asia, the Spanish Empire, and Western Europe. In these distant realms, characterized by constant change driven by expanding trade networks, colonial aspirations, and the rise of empiricism, natural things acquired new meanings and became estranged from their original origins. Tracing the processes of their displacement, each chapter begins with a captivating piece of original artwork that employs digital collage to displace image sources and reimagine lost and remade meanings.

Natural Things is a groundbreaking study that seamlessly combines original visualizations with the history of science, making it accessible and captivating to a wide audience. Whether you're a museum-goer, scholar, scientist, or student, this book offers fresh perspectives on nature and collecting, shedding light on previously untold histories. With its playful visuality, it appeals to both non-academic and academic readers, reminding us of the alienating nature of modern life sciences while captivating our imaginations.

Weight: 929g
Dimension: 280 x 210 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032397184