An unsung hero of natural history
Though not a scientist myself, I enjoy reading science history and scientific biographies, particularly in natural history. Many pioneering zoologists, botanists, and paleontologists lived enviably fascinating lives centered around an appreciation of nature, outdoor exploration, scientific inquiry, and the building of museum collections. Charles D. Bunker may not be as famous as Louis Agassiz (founder of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology) or Roy Chapman Andrews (former director of the American Museum of Natural History) but he proves that even an unsung worker at a lesser known museum can nonetheless live a fascinating life devoted to natural science and make a lasting and influential impact on natural history and museum methodology. In his recently published book, Birds, Bones, and Beetles, author Chuck Warner details the life and career of Bunker, who was affectionately referred to by friends and colleagues as “Bunk.”Born in Illinois in 1870, Bunk moved to Lawrence, Kansas with his parents in 1891. With little in the way of marketable skills other than a love of the outdoors, hunting, and some experience with taxidermy, Bunk doggedly set about going after his dream job, preparing animal specimens for the University of Kansas Natural History Museum. Once hired, he built a lifelong career at the museum. Bunk didn’t even possess a high school diploma, but he proved his value to the institution and rose from assistant taxidermist to the rank of curator. By the end of the 19th century, the KU Natural History Museum had already established a national reputation for excellence. While director Lewis Lindsay Dyche was the charismatic spokesman for the institution, Bunk was content to work quietly behind the scenes, amassing the museum’s admirably extensive collections of specimens. The book follows Bunk on two notable collecting expeditions: a journey by horse-drawn wagon to western Kansas and a trip to Alaska with a party of big game hunters. In both cases, Bunk shot, skinned, and logged hundreds of animal specimens for the museum, and in western Kansas he discovered the fossil skeleton of a mosasaur, a prehistoric marine reptile from the age of the dinosaurs.
Though he was never a professor at the university, Bunk was nonetheless quite influential as a teacher to those who worked for him at the museum. Many of his students would go on to stellar careers in institutions like the Smithsonian and the American Museum of Natural History. Bunk also created a much-copied system of cataloging museum specimens and was a pioneer in the use of beetles to clean skeletons, rather than tediously boiling and scraping them.
Though Warner is Bunk’s grandson, he has researched and written this biography with the scholarly rigor of an objective historian. Those readers who have a connection to the University of Kansas will find much to enjoy in the interesting historical background that Warner provides on the university and the museum. The book is by no means overly Kansas-centric, however, and will appeal to anyone interested in natural history or museum studies. Bunk’s story harkens back to a time prior to the rigorous scientific specialization that exists in academia today. No PhD was required for Bunk to make his mark in his field, just hard work, determination, scientific curiosity, and a remarkable generosity toward his students. Birds, Bones, and Beetles is a fitting memorial to the interesting and inspiring life of this accomplished museum professional.
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