The social history of ornithology: inscriptions in copies of Robert Dunn's 1837 Ornithologist's Guide

摘要

The Hull taxidermist-dealer Robert Dunn (1789-1859) has until fairly recently been a somewhat obscure figure, known mainly from information published in his only book The Ornithologist's Guide to the Islands of Orkney and Shetland (Dunn, 1837). However, more details about his life and family, particularly one of his sons, Joseph Henry (1827?-1872), are now emerging (Limbert, 2007; Williams, 2012a). During a bibliographical study of The Ornithologist's Guide (Williams, 2012b), 57 copies, some of whichcontain presentation inscriptions by the author or other persons, or signatures and notes of owners, were traced in various libraries around the world.