Journey Under the Sea-Wind With Wildlife Illustrations

Explore Bob Hines's illustrations for Rachel Carson's book Under the Sea-Wind

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Front Page, Silent Spring inscribed by author Rachel Carson (1962) by The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Rachel Carson, world-renowned author and biologist, sparked the environmental movement of the 1960s and 70s with her book Silent Spring (1962).

The wreck of Mary B (1991) by Bob Hines and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Preceding Silent Spring, Carson authored three other books, all of which were lyrical explorations of her first love: the sea. Although less known, they were her personal favorites.

Rachel Carson at Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory (1929)U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

While Silent Spring was written out of a strong sense of duty to expose the dangers of chemical pesticides, Under the Sea-Wind (1941) and her other two books were written from a deep passion and fascination with the living marine world that she harbored from a young age.

Rachel Carson and Bob Hines search for sea creatures to write about and illustrate (1952) by The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

To celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Carson’s first book – Under the Sea-Wind – her U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service colleague and lifelong friend Bob Hines was asked to illustrate a new edition.

Hermit crabs (moon snail shell/periwinkle shell) (1991) by Bob Hines and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Hines would carefully examine specimens of the biota upon which his drawings were based.

Mullet fish (1991) by Bob Hines and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Similarly, Carson went to great lengths fully researching and confirming the scientific accuracy of her descriptions.

Three Hudsonian curlews (1991) by Bob Hines and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

The results are illustrations that are not only aesthetic and lively, but intricate and morphologically accurate, just as the text itself is poetic, yet scientifically sound.

Two sanderlings (1991) by Bob Hines and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Carson's unique approach of story-telling from the perspective of personified organisms is captivating. The book's first section follows the journey of a female sanderling named Silverbar.

School of shad, Bob Hines, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1991, From the collection of: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Osprey, Bob Hines, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1991, From the collection of: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Golden plovers, Bob Hines, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1991, From the collection of: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

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Squid feeding on mackerel (1991) by Bob Hines and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

The second part of the book follows a mackerel named Scomber.

Bluefish feeding on anchovies, Bob Hines, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1991, From the collection of: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Two ruddy turnstones, Bob Hines, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1991, From the collection of: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Bluefin tuna feeding on mackerel, Bob Hines, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1991, From the collection of: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

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Eels returning to the sea (1991) by Bob Hines and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

The concluding section follows Anguilla, an eel.

American lobster, Bob Hines, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1991, From the collection of: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Raccoon family, Bob Hines, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1991, From the collection of: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Three long-tailed ducks, Bob Hines, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1991, From the collection of: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

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Blue skimmer (1991) by Bob Hines and The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum

Carson’s term "sea-wind" captures the integrated whole of ocean, shore, sky, and all living inhabitants, from which an intangible beauty emerges. Similarly, Carson and Hines achieve the emergence of a thing beyond the sum of scientific and artistic parts: a book all may enjoy.

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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