A Zigzag Path
The Rev. Gilbert White, author of The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, whilst very much the “gentleman naturalist”, is also one of the founding fathers of modern ecology. He saw plants and animals not as something put on Earth for man’s exploitation, but as an integral part of a natural world. His acute observation and relentless attention to detail allowed him to identify several hitherto undescribed species, including the harvest mouse and the noctule bat. He was the first to suggest that the “willow wren” was not one, but three species of bird – those that we now know as the chiffchaff, willow warbler and wood warbler. His meticulous observations of the arrival and departure dates of Selborne’s birds paved the way for the modern understanding of migration.
Since its original publication in 1789, The Natural History has never been out of print. With over four hundred editions, it is the fourth most published text in the English language. Gilbert White’s influence has been acknowledged by generations of leading naturalists, from Charles Darwin to Sir David Attenborough.
Yet, as much as White’s book describes his own life and times, it also serves as a poignant reminder of how much has changed. Species such as the Turtle Dove and the Nightjar, the Stone Curlew and the Nightingale, all commonplace during White’s lifetime, are in steep decline. The Corncrake is now extinct in England. White’s writings are not only a testament to the richness of life that once was, but also a call to action to preserve what remains.
In my recent photobook, A Zigzag Path, I have paired modern photographs with short excerpts from Gilbert White’s letters and journal entries.. With this work, I hope to present White as someone who taught us to see the natural world in a new way, someone who inspires us to take action so that our children and grandchildren might also enjoy his legacy.
Copies of the book are available at £15 (plus postage), £9 of which will be donated to the Gilbert White House, the museum housed in White’s former home in Selborne. Please contact me if you would like a copy. An online version of the book is shown here:
A print from this series, Gilbert’s Pond (see above), was exhibited at the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in London, from 17th June to 17th August 2025.