Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library. Maria Cochetti, (Rome, 1990). Born into a poor family in Zürich, Switzerland, his father and teachers quickly realised his talents and supported him through university, where he studied classical languages, theology and medicine. Conrad Gesner (1516-1565) was a Swiss naturalist and bibliographer. Conrad Gessner (or Konrad Gessner, 26 March 1516 – 13 December 1565) was a Swiss naturalist and bibliographer.His five-volume Historiae animalium (1551–1558) is a forerunner of modern zoology.The flowering plant genus Gesneria is named after him.. Career. But, undoubtedly it is Gessner’s Historiae animalium (History of Animals) that is considered his magnum opus. Gessner’s work aimed to describe all of the animals that were known at the time, even though he would not have seen the majority of them in the flesh. Historiae animalium was published in four volumes between 1551-1558, with a fifth volume published posthumously in 1587.  The first two volumes describe mammals, the third birds, the fourth aquatic mammals, and the posthumous fifth concerns serpents. Zürich, Froschauer, 1558. Gessner compiled monumental works on bibliography and zoology and was working on a major botanical text at the time of his death from plague at the age of 49. USTC : 664937 , 74932 . In: Paul J. Smith and Karl A.E. Conrad Gessner (also Konrad Gesner, Conrad Geßner, Conrad von Gesner, Conradus Gesnerus, Conrad Gesner; 26 March 1516 – 13 December 1565) was a Swiss naturalist and bibliographer. Hear from the team about our projects to protect the environments in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Conrad Gessner 1516-1565. Print. A day in Discovery and Learning at ZSL is never dull! Sophia Hendrikx, Identification of herring species in Conrad Gessner’s ichthyological works, a case study on taxonomy, nomenclature, and animal depiction in the sixteenth century. So much so, that he was awarded a scholarship to study in Bourges University in France, in 1533. His work is a benchmark in natural history studies. The insertions from Rondelet and Belon bring additional value to this book, which makes Gessner the oldest author on the history of animals. The complete work includes a fifth volume: Lib. He is regarded as the father of modern scientific bibliography, zoology and … Kusukawa, S. (2007) Konrad Gessner: the beginnings of modern zoology (1516-1565). All special exhibitions and events to mark the 500 th anniversary of the birth of the Zurich polymath Conrad Gessner (1516-1565) He was well known as a botanist, physician and classical linguist. Describvntur, cum nomenclaturis singulorum Latinis, Graecis, italicis, Gallicis, et Germanicis digestae. It is an enormous effort that covered the zoological information known until that century. He is regarded as the father of modern scientific bibliography, zoology and botany. ZSL Library holds 4 of the 5 original Gessner volumes of Historiae animalium, plus a later abridged version from 1560. An Open Access journal for research at the interface of remote sensing, ecology and conservation. Arguably, the most impressive aspect of Gessner’s Historiae animalium is the attention to detail with which he describes each species. He became Zürich's City Physician, but was able to spend much of his time on collecting, research and writing. The team tell us all about the exciting sessions for school children, as well as work further afield. Robert Lauterborn, "Konrad Gessner und die Tierkunde," in Der Rhein, (Freiburg, 1930), 1, 136-8. Subscribe to email updates from ZSL and expect to hear about: The Zoological Society of London is incorporated by Royal Charter - Registered Charity in England and Wales no. Gessner, Conrad]. It was with this uncle that Gessner’s keen interest in natural history began. The five-hundredth and first anniversary of Conrad Gessner’s (1516-1565) birth was celebrated this year, with the Biodiversity Heritage Library hosting a webinar on the Smithsonian’s Rare Book Library’s collection of Gessner works. Bay, J. C. (1916) Konrad Gessner (1516–1565), the Father of Bibliography : an appreciation. 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