The Paper Zoo: 500 Years of animals in art

“Atlantic Right whale; humpbacked

whale” by Archibald thorburn,

British Mammals Including deep-sea mammals

in a national collection is a powerful statement. At the time of publication, 1920, territorial

waters were considered to extend only three nautical miles, whereas whales are often farther out. Today, whaling continues to be mixed in with the politics of

maritime control.

Edited extract from The Paper Zoo: 500 Years of Animals in Art by Charlotte Sleigh, published by

the British Library, £25

© The British Library Board