The Fiji Mermaid: A Monster That Crept Into Our Museums, Zine by Allison C. Meier, Author of Grave

The Fiji Mermaid: A Monster That Crept Into Our Museums

Why does a grotesque half-fish, half-mammal creature reside in the prestigious collections of museums around the world? This zine (illustrated with astounding black-and-white archival photographs) delves into the curious history of the Fiji mermaid, which emerged in the 19th century as supposed proof that mermaids dwell in our oceans. Appropriated from a Japanese tradition of the ningyo, the spectacle of the Fiji Mermaid and its enduring popularity is an insight into the often forgotten strange roots of our modern museums.

Allison C. Meier is the author of Grave (2023, Bloomsbury) and regularly writes about culture and its intersections with death, with articles in publications including The New York Times, CityLab, Wellcome Collection, Lapham's Quarterly, Hyperallergic, The Art Newspaper, and Curbed. She has led cemetery walks at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, and other New York City area burial grounds.

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8.5 x 5.5 inches - 12 pages, color cover and black-and-white interior.