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Nature - Stilled

Jane Ussher author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Te Papa Press

Published:8th Oct '20

Should be back in stock very soon

Nature - Stilled cover

A stunning book by one of New Zealand's best photographers A handsome gift A unique way to appreciate our natural world Designed by award-winning design company InHouse Design.

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa holds over one million items in its vast natural history collection. Award-winning photographer Jane Ussher spent several days capturing their astonishing beauty and power, and the result is a stunningly photographed and beautifully packaged book.Award-winning photographer Jane Ussher spent several weeks in Te Papa's natural history collection storage areas shooting this outstanding book, and the result is a true treasure. Stunningly photographed and beautifully designed, its 157 images capture the glory of the insect, fish, mollusc and botanical specimens that represent the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa's vast and scientifically important collections. Te Papa's expert curators and collections managers have written the short texts about each natural history object, giving concise and unique insights into the fascinating characteristics of each of them. From photographs of huia and kakapo to vivid x-rays of fish, gloriously coloured moths and butterflies, unique mosses, and lichens collected in Antarctica, this outstanding book pays tribute to the glories of our natural world.

'People say "stunning" lightly but that's really what it felt like, the first time I opened Nature - Stilled. There is no flicking through. You sit and you look properly and it is a pleasure, to pause like this over images, to be still' - Catherine Woulfe, Spinoff Books; '... awe-inspiring volume.' - North & South; 'Despite having a luminary photographer guiding the project this Nature-Stilled is more than a photography book. This beautifully conceived document is an opportunity to learn about the natural history of New Zealand beyond the museum's displays.' - Design Assembly; 'Ussher, and the Te Papa Press team, have created a true treasure, bringing these pieces of history out into the light' - NZ Booklovers; '... an astonishingly beautiful volume of both great scientific and aesthetic interest' - Scoop; 'An impressive 364 page volume Nature - Stilled is generous and inclusive. Photographs of the various members of ten different species make up the photographic sections which are the bulk of the book, with an introduction by Ussher and a text section at the back where the Te Papa natural history team give a description of each image in non-scientific language. This is clearly a book designed to interest the general public in what Te Papa have behind the scenes. The work put into producing such an impressive tome is clear, and it is obvious that all involved put a great deal of care and love into this book' - Caroline McQuarrie, photoforum. Author feature in Canvas, NZ Herald, 10 October 2020. “A stunning book, with subtle and defining features throughout. Jane Ussher’s careful yet expressive photography has been treated with immaculate production and sensitivity.” - 2021 PANZ Book Design Awards comment

  • Winner of 2021 PANZ Book Design Awards 2021
  • Short-listed for Designer Institute of New Zealand 2021
  • Short-listed for Best Antipodean Photobooks 2020 2020
  • Short-listed for Ockham New Zealand Book Awards - Illustrated Non-Fiction 2021
  • Short-listed for Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand Awards for Illustrated Non Fiction 2021

ISBN: 9780995113695

Dimensions: 250mm x 202mm x 32mm

Weight: 1800g

368 pages