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The habitat dioramas, a centerpiece of the American Museum of Natural History, get their due in this handsome oversized (11.25x10.25") volume, which presents many full-page color plates of the dioramas. The text, by Quinn (who began his career painting dioramas at the Museum in 1974--he's now in charge of exhibitions), details the subject of the diorama depicted and the often bleak current status of its animal subjects. The story of how the diorama was created is told in fascinating detail, with many b&w historic photos included, both in the sections on individual dioramas and in the chapters on the history and the creation of the Museum's dioramas, and the biographies of their creators. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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