Bob Kuhn

“For those of us who portray wildlife . . . our decision to persist in our quest for excellence is almost always based on a love affair, a fascination with the creatures of our planet, and a need to share this feeling the best way we know how.” So said wildlife artist Robert Kuhn (1920–2007), who spent a lifetime sketching and painting animals, and generously mentoring other artists. Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct presents a generous sampling of his rarely seen sketches alongside the vibrant paintings for which he is best known. Appearing in conjunction with a traveling exhibit mounted by the National Museum of Wildlife Art, in Jackson, Wyoming, this book allows readers to observe the artistic process of one of the greatest wildlife artists of our time. Curator Adam Duncan Harris provides an introduction and a biography of Kuhn, along with an examination of his working method. In addition, Bob Kuhn features four substantive essays by leading authorities on American art: James H. Nottage of the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Amy Scott of the Autry National Center, Lisa M. Strong of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and Todd Wilkinson of Wildlife Art Journal and other publications. These contributions, written from a variety of art historical perspectives, set Kuhn’s oeuvre within the cultural context in which he worked and deepen our understanding of his achievements. Complementing the essays are brief appreciations by six of Kuhn’s contemporaries and three samples of the artist’s own writing. Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct offers a compelling blend of the artist’s finished paintings and finest sketches—works of art in their own right. This lavishly illustrated book is a fitting tribute that will further establish Bob Kuhn’s place in the pantheon of late-twentieth-century American artists.

Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct presents a generous sampling of his rarely seen sketches alongside the vibrant paintings for which he is best known. Appearing in conjunction with a traveling exhibit mounted by the National Museum of Wildlife Art, in Jackson, Wyoming, this book allows readers to observe the artistic process of one of the greatest wildlife artists of our time.

The American artist demonstrates techniques for sketching and painting animal figures as he discusses his own career

A military memoir with an underlying love story

Archaeological excavations at the Garoga, Klock and Smith-Pagerie Sites in the mid-Mohawk River Valley, New York are presented in this new volume published by the New York State Museum. These three sixteenth-century Mohawk sites were excavated by State Museum researchers under the direction of the late State Archaeologist Robert E. Funk. Each site was a large Mohawk Iroquois village complete with longhouses, palisades, and once occupied by hundreds of people. The extensive excavations revealed the settlement plan of each village, exposed dozens of fire hearths, storage pits, and other features, and recovered thousands of artifacts. This volume presents the results of these excavations including a description and analysis of the settlement patterns at each site and a detailed study and comparison of the large artifact assemblages.

In the late 1800s, as surrounding areas grew at a steady pace, Manhattan Beach remained a tranquil, sparely populated area, inhabited only by those willing to challenge its sand dunes. Captured here in over 200 vintage images is the development, expansion, and transitions of this stretch of land called Manhattan Beach and the indelible impressions made by its earliest settlers.Originally the land on which today's city of Manhattan Beach is situated was a broad series of sand dunes stretching from Playa del Rey to Redondo Beach. With the arrival of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad in 1888, and the Pacific Electric in 1903, more sightseers and homebuyers were discovering the South Bay. Pictured here is the development of the area, from plank-covered paths, to dirt roads, to the street paving of today; early photographs of downtown development including the first City Hall; local businesses and industries such as Ercole's Caf© and State Bank; and the most vital aspect of any American town: the residents, with names like Cambell, Freeman, Ward, and Merrill.