Alexander Wilson: The Scot who founded American Ornithology

by Edward H. Burtt Jr., William E. Davis, Gerard Carruthers (Contributor)

Audubon was not the father of American ornithology. That honorific belongs to Alexander Wilson, whose encyclopedic American Ornithology established a distinctive approach that emphasized the observation of live birds. In the first full-length study to reproduce all of Wilson s unpublished drawings for the nine-volume Ornithology, Edward Burtt and William Davis illustrate Wilson's pioneering and, today, underappreciated achievement as the first ornithologist to describe the birds of the North American wilderness.

Abandoning early ambitions to become a poet in the mold of his countryman Robert Burns, Wilson emigrated from Scotland to settle near Philadelphia, where the botanist William Bartram encouraged his proclivity for art and natural history. Wilson traveled 12,000 miles on foot, on horseback, in a rowboat, and by stage and ship, establishing a network of observers along the way. He wrote hundreds of accounts of indigenous birds, discovered many new species, and sketched the behavior and ecology of each species he encountered.

Drawing on their expertise in both science and art, Burtt and Davis show how Wilson defied eighteenth-century conventions of biological illustration by striving for realistic depiction of birds in their native habitats. He drew them in poses meant to facilitate identification, making his work the model for modern field guides and an inspiration for Audubon, Spencer Fullerton Baird, and other naturalists who followed. On the bicentennial of his death, this beautifully illustrated volume is a fitting tribute to Alexander Wilson and his unique contributions to ornithology, ecology, and the study of animal behavior."

Genres: History, Nature, Natural History, Birds, Biography Memoir, Nonfiction

464 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2013

Reviews

[Tuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

super book about alex wilson, from childhood in paisley scotland, to his super productive years in new usa, based in new jersey and philidelphia. a true autodidact genius, he became obsessed with the birds of north america and learned all he could from william bartram and his library. then he learned to draw and paint, then he learned to copperplate, and eventually , practically single handedly, produced his nine volumes of "american ornithology".
this book goes through his life and works and analyzes many of his prints and drafts. wilson believed and did, observe birds in their habitat and wrote as much about lifeways as shooting birds and painting them. a huge and modern leap in natural history.
this book also looks at wilson legacy, his relationships with taxonomy, other bird book writers, audubon, ord, economic ornithology, and his empathy, genius and compassion.
has wonderful colored illustrations and explanations of book making in 1800 usa, paper making, paint making, copper engraving, and on and on. extensive endnotes and bibliography.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to Wilson and American Ornithology. Only the first section is devoted to Wilson's life; much of the rest is devoted to the making of the American Ornithology, and can be a bit oddly arranged.

[Lauren Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was like 50 pages of a biography and the rest being drawings and explanations. It was fine...

[Chris Leuchtenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uniquely organized for a biography, this lushly illustrated book is more like an archivist's notes than a standard biography. The biographical sketch is limited to fifty pages followed by over 200 pages of a bird by bird description of Wilson's multi-volume American Ornithology. Perhaps the most interesting section describes in detail how the illustrations were prepared for printing. The burden of the book is to argue that Wilson overcame his limited education to earn the position of the founder of the science of ornithology in America, at which it partially succeeds.

[Jean Blackwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't really a full-fledged biography of the man, but rather a case made to grant him the title the Father of American Ornithology. If you are fairly serious about birding and the study of birds, you'll appreciate this book far more than the casual reader.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book filled a critical gap in my natural history education. Wilson really did pave the way for Audubon and is worth investigating. He may not have been quite the artistic talent that Audubon was but his ambition and ornithological prowess was equally great.

[Steve Courson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. If you are looking for a primer on Wilson, early ornithology and how naming birds came to be, this should be your first stop.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to return this to the library before I had finished it, but this is a fascinating look into the origins of ornithology and the exploration and colonization of the US and its biological riches.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked reading about Alexander Wilson.
He worked with America's founding fathers and really believed in freedom.
I am so proud to read about people who came to this country and at their own expense, go out and discover important information about our bird populations and share the information with William Bartram and Thomas Jefferson.