Kingdom Under Glass: A Tale of Obsession, Adventure, and One Man's Quest to Preserve the World's Great Animals

Times:

5:30 p.m. View rarely seen specimens, photos, and field sketches from pioneering Academy explorers

6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Talk and book-signing

Place: The Academy of Natural Sciences

RSVP to 215-299-1060 or reservations@ansp.org

Spend an evening with author and Philadelphia resident Jay Kirk as he discusses his newest book, Kingdom Under Glass: A Tale of Obsession, Adventure, and One Man’s Quest to Preserve The World’s Great Animals.

In this epic account of an extraordinary life lived during remarkable times, Kirk follows the adventures of the brooding genius Carl Akeley who revolutionized taxidermy in the late 19th century. Akeley’s artistic methods were used in natural history dioramas across the country, including the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Kirk's nonfiction has been published in Harper's, GQ, The New York Times Magazine, and The Nation. His work has been anthologized in Best American Crime Writing 2003 and 2004, and Best American Travel Writing 2009 (edited by Simon Winchester). He is a recipient of a 2005 Pew Fellowship in the Arts and is a MacDowell Fellow. He teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Starting at 5:30 pm, visitors are invited to view rarely seen specimens and hear the stories behind the Academy’s own dioramas. See photos and field sketches from the pioneering Academy explorers who followed in Akeley's footsteps.