Ronald Scott Vasile
The idea for this book originated in 1985. I had begun working as the collections manager at the Chicago Academy of Sciences two years earlier and was now given the added responsibility of organizing the archives. Given the combination to four large, walk-in vaults, I found myself spending inordinate amounts of time in one particularly cozy vault, crammed floor to ceiling with documents relating to the Academy’s history. One small scrapbook contained letters from nearly every major American naturalist, all written in the immediate aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Truly heartfelt and emotional, they commiserated with William Stimpson over the loss of the Academy’s holdings and many of his unpublished manuscripts in the fire. I had never heard of Stimpson and intrigued by the letters, I began to look for more information on him in those pre-Internet days. I eventually pieced together the story of his life, one that reflects the larger world of American natural history from roughly 1850 to 1870.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more