Best of CASE District III Award
 

Institution: University of Florida

Title of entry: All Things Beautiful

About this entry: Created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its designation as the state museum, All Things Beautiful was conceived as both a fine art photography book and an exploration of the collections and history of the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida.
Photography, book design, and project coordination were done by museum staff, with assistance from a freelance writer who conducted research and interviews and wrote the text. The book is being marketed to museum visitors, members, volunteers and other supporters and is used as a stewardship and cultivation asset by university and museum advancement.

Lushly illustrated with over 300 color plates, this volume is a celebration of the beauty of natural history collections and the work of faculty curators dedicated to understanding and conserving our natural world. All Things Beautiful reveals some of the remarkable animals, plants, fossils and cultural heritage materials that make up the 40 million+ collections of the Florida Museum. With 10 chapters exploring diverse themes including the collector’s impulse, fields of adventure, remembering the lost and saving the imperiled, this book captures the vast scope of the museum’s efforts to document and discover all forms of life on Earth. Extraordinary color, form, pattern and texture are revealed in the stunning photography of photographer Kristen Grace. Focusing on rare, beautiful and fascinating highlights from the collections, these images, along with their compelling stories, will inspire those who love nature, science, museums and the thrill of discovery.