The Birdman of Koshkonong : The Life of Naturalist Thure Kumlien.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bergland, Martha.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kumlien, Thure Ludwig Theodor, 1819-1888.

Kumlien, Thure Ludwig Theodor.

Naturalists--United States--Biography.

Naturalists.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (329 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Birdman of Koshkonong

Place of Publication:

Madison : Wisconsin Historical Society, 2021.

Summary:

"Thure Kumlien was a Swedish American settler who studied birds and plants in the forests, swamps, and prairies near Lake Koshkonong, Wisconsin, from the mid- to late 1800s. Though he never became as famous as John Muir, Increase Lapham, or Aldo Leopold, he was similar to these naturalists in that he possessed an unparalleled knowledge of (and respect for) the natural world in this part of Wisconsin. He made an indelible impression on many, including the Wisconsin writers Walter Havighurst, Lorine Neidecker, and Sterling North. Born to a wealthy family in Skaraborg, Sweden, in 1819, Kumlein was well educated and allowed free-rein to pursue his first love: collecting bird, plant, and mammal specimens. As a young man, he attended Uppsala University (where Carl Linneas taught), studied with the great botanist Professor Elias Fries, and traveled to the Baltic Islands to collect birds and plants. He and his wife, Christine, were some of the first Swedes to emigrate to Wisconsin, settling near Lake Koshkonong in 1843. After arriving in Wisconsin, Thure's reputation quietly spread as a man who knew about the natural world. In the years before and during the Civil War, he sent specimens such as bird skins, eggs, and nests, to museums and collectors in Europe and the Eastern United States, including the Smithsonian. He later taught languages and science at nearby Albion Academy, including to his young neighbor and friend, Edward Lee Greene, who went on to become a prominent botanist. Kumlien worked for the young University of Wisconsin preparing natural history exhibits for the university and normal schools. Later, he was hired as the first curator and third employee of the new Milwaukee Public Museum"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

A Note on Terminology

Prologue

Introduction

1. A Swedish Son and Schoolboy 1819-1839

2. Young Romantics and Natural History Heroes 1840-1843

3. Letters from America and a Trip to Gotland Island 1841-1842

4. Lovers and Friends on the Svea 1842-1843

5. The Swedish Gentlemen at Lake Koshkonong 1843

6. A Settler's Journal 1844

7. The Starving Time 1845-1849

8. American Birds and Bird Books 1850-1851

9. Thomas Brewer and the Yellow-headed Blackbird 1851-1853

10. Bird Puzzles 1853-1859

11. Friendships, Botany, and War 1859-1866

12. The Sons and Schools of Fine-grained Men 1866-1875

13. Rising Sons and Disappearances 1876-1880

14. Hosts of Beautiful Things in the World 1880-1888

Epilogue

Notes

Acknowledgments

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9780870209536

0870209531

OCLC:

1243546778