The Lost Amazon

[gwebster]

Accompanied by my wife and son, I was recently in Washington DC for a conference and finding ourselves with a

little bit of time to spare, we decided to visit the Museum of Natural History. The museum was great and I

thoroughly recommend it to anybody visiting DC. The real gem for us however, was one of the current exhibitions

entitled "The Lost Amazon" in which was displayed the photographic record of the 12 years spent in the Amazon by

explorer and naturalist Richard Evan Schultes.

<p>

Schultes left Harvard University from 1941 to 1953 to travel extensively throughout the Amazon with his notebooks

and his Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera, photographing the plants, people and landscapes of the region.

Schultes was a world authority on medicinal plants, so it is not surprising that his notes and photographs

regarding the Amazon plant life constitute such a large part of his fieldwork.

<p>

I have to say that the large (roughly 24" on a side) square prints that were displayed in this exhibition were

incredibly beautiful and inspiring. In addition to his many other talents, when you look at Schultes' images you can

appreciate what a superb eye he also had for his photography which combines the scientific eye of the naturalist

with the aesthetic of an artist.

<p>

For those of you who are unable to make it to the exhibition and see these amazing prints for yourselves, there

is also a book of the same name available, by author Wade Davis - <em>The Lost Amazon, The Photographic Journey Of

Richard Evans Schultes</em> - which contains reproductions of some of the images that are on display in this

exhibition. The book is also available online from e.g. <a

href="http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Amazon-Wade-Davis

/dp/0500285241/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219714396&sr=8-2">Amazon</a>

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<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/7738972-md.jpg">

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For any of you like me who enjoy the documentary photography of the kind found in <em>National Geographic</em>,

this exhibition and the book are a real treat and I thoroughly recommend them. The exhibition runs at the

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History until November 2nd, and while the book is wonderful, it's also well worth

trying to see

the full-size exhibition prints if you are able to get to Washington DC before the exhibition closes.

<p>

Gordon

[russ_butner___portland__or]

I agree. Excellent book.

 

Russ