Wild Encounters

While humans do live alongside and in collaboration with many types of animals, we are often so engrossed in our daily lives and our constructed society that we forget that we are surrounded by nature and animals living in the natural environment. As human-built landscapes continue to encroach on natural landscapes and ecosystems, unexpected, and sometimes even dangerous, interactions between humans and animals seem to be increasing in frequency. As we force our way into the domain of “wild animals”, those same animals find ways to exist within our built environments. Our archival collection provides evidence that people consider their interactions with wild animals significant enough to capture through photographs and video. We have a number of photographs detailing these interactions, some of them strange and humorous, which we’ve shared below.

 

 

 

 

 

[Fat Dearing] and a deer's dear - Unidentified soldier holding a fawn - WWII

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Young man watching racoon (COA123 4-187)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Blue Heron at south end of Centerville Pond - mid 1900s (COA202 Vol 1 pg. 35)

 

 

 

 

 

 Two Texaco employees removing racoon from garage (COA123 8-83) 

 

 

 

 

 

Groundhog coming out of hole (COA123 4-188)

 

 

 

 

 

 Loon at south end of Centreville pond - mid 1900s (COA202 Vol 1 pg. 35)