Reading Nature, Observing Science: Examining Material Practices in the Lick Observatory Archives and Kenneth S. Norris Papers

Connections: In Relation to Nature

Dr. Campbell's report of the Flint Island expedition assures the reader that camp-life there was "wholly devoid of unpleasantness" and mentions that the party had found time for "a successful turtle hunt on the coral beach, in alternating moonlight and tropical downpour." Mrs Campbell's album from the trip contains multiple photos of the party members happily looking at large turtles strung up on poles or laid out on a tram car, and one particularly striking image of Mrs Campbell sitting atop of a turtle that is tied to a tree.  The climate, topography, and ecology of each location could be either an interesting addendum or a problem to be overcome, but were not of primary interest to the astronomers. These images suggest that, while the astronomers took pleasure in observing the natural world, they saw themselves as dominant over and separate from other animals.

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