Due to technical issues, this presentation was rescheduled. We hope you can join us.
Many of us have accumulated a lot of bird books, ranging from practical field guides to artsy
coffee-table books. This presentation will show you how today’s bird books evolved from their
forerunners in the early days of printing and ornithology. We’ll see some remarkably beautiful
artwork as well as some bizarre depictions and descriptions. For instance, what was the
reputed medicinal use of powdered hummingbirds? How did Carolina Parakeets taste? Join us
and find out!
Janet Millenson is a native of the D.C. area and has been a bird enthusiast since childhood. She served as state president of the Maryland Ornithological Society from 2004 to 2006, and this will be her 20th season as compiler for the Sugarloaf Mountain Christmas Bird Count, which goes well with her professional background in data mining. Janet started collecting antiquarian bird books in the 1970s, and the oldest items in her collection date back to the 1500s.