The Department of Tropical Research

A diptych of illustrations rendered in blue and red pencil by artist Mark Dion entitled “The Department of Tropical Research.” Left: An Oceanographic Laboratory filled with various books, specimen, and the trappings and tools of life at sea. On the right, a make-shift desk with two chairs holds a typewriter, microscope, and lamp; to the left, a shelf is filled with jars, jugs, and tubes. Above three circular porthole windows, a long shelf of books runs parallel to the ceiling. Right: A Jungle Laboratory shows a space crowded with nets, books, binoculars, cages, rifles, and other hunting gear.