Twinkind : the singular significance of twins / William Viney ; foreword by George Viney.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Viney, William, author.

Contributor:

Viney, George, writer of foreword.

Albert E. Visk, W'28, Memorial Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Twins--Social aspects.

Twins.

Twins--History.

Twins in art.

Genre:

Illustrated works.

Physical Description:

223 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cm

Other Title:

Twin kind

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press [2023]

Summary:

"Twins have captivated the imagination for centuries, occupying a unique place in our cultural and scientific history. Twinkind looks at twins in myth and legend; anatomy, sociology, and genetics; and as sources of spectacle, entertainment, and community. Drawing on hundreds of striking and sometimes haunting illustrations, William Viney examines depictions of twins as protagonists in creation stories ranging from Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca in Aztec mythology to Artemis and Apollo in Greek legend. He describes how twins have featured prominently in scientific research across the centuries, but especially in the work of Francis Galton, whose study of twins on the behavioral question of heredity versus environment gave rise to the pseudoscience of eugenics in the late nineteenth century. Viney explores the representation of twins in art, photography, and film--from the works of Roger Ballen to the cinema of Stanley Kubrick--and delves into the darker meanings ascribed to twins across the millennia. A visual journey like no other, this book sheds critical light on the competing visions of twins around the world and throughout history, showing how the lived experience of twinkind has elicited profound attraction and respect, but also puzzlement, fear, and fascination" -- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1. Myth + Legend

I. Gods and Heroes

II. Evil Twins

III. Twin Spirits

2. Science + Progress

IV. Nature and Nurture

V. Crime and Forensics

VI. Born and Made

3. Spectacle + Prophecy

VII. Born Entertainers

VIII. Twins and the Paranormal

IX. Twin Communities

Notes:

"First published in the United Kingdom in 2023 by Thames & Hudson Ltd" -- colophon.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 216-220) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Albert E. Visk, W'28, Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

9780691254753

0691254753

OCLC:

1401160087