Insect Architecture
Overview
Insect Architecture by James Rennie is a nonfiction guide to various insects of the Western world. The novel was originally published anonymously in 1830 for the Library of Entertaining Knowledge in London but was later republished at various locations. One copy of the novel, published by Lily & Wait in Boston, is now housed in University of Pennsylvania’s Kislak Center for Special Collections.
Background
James Rennie
James Rennie was a professor of natural sciences at King's College and was a noted naturalist of his time. He wrote several guides on botany and zoology, mostly for The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge
Contents
Insect Architecture contains information on the life, anatomy, and constructions of various insects. It is organized into chapters by species.
Material Analysis
Insect Architecture is made out of cotton rag paper which indicates it was made to last. [1] Some of the pages have moderate foxing, but it remains mostly in excellent condition. The book is bound about a quarter of the way in leather. The book has no marginalia or asemic markings which indicates the novel functioned practically as a coffee table book, perhaps flipped through by a casual reader, but it was not carefully studied.
References
- ↑ Suarez, Michael F.; Woudhuysen, H. R., eds. (2010-01-01). The Oxford Companion to the Book (1 ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780198606536.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-860653-6.