Ivan T. Sanderson’s Love Notes
Posted by: Loren Coleman on July 30th, 2010
What place did love have in the life of Ivan T. Sanderson?
I have come into the possession, through a reputable bookseller, Bob Girard, of a remarkable collection of books that have inscriptions from naturalist and cryptozoologist Ivan T. Sanderson to his first wife, Alma. They clearly show Ivan as a passionate individual, who signs himself as Alma’s “lover-husband” in one instance, calls her “precious” in another, and expresses his affection for her elsewhere.
These volumes will certainly be cherished by me, and I will eventually use them for an exhibition at the museum.
I add them to a collection of other inscriptions in books I have collected down through the years, including one from Ivan to W. C. Osman-Hill, the London primatologist involved in the Pangboche hand affair. Ivan had autographed a copy of Monkey Kingdom to Osman-Hill.
Here are peeks at some of the recently discovered notes from Ivan to Alma:
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About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Truly the definition of “priceless”
Alma?
Isn’t that a funny coincidence.
Ivan T. Sanderson marries a woman with the same name as the Caucasus relic hominid.
In the Mongolian language I am pretty sure “Alma” means wildman.
I could be wrong though.
You don’t suppose the little darling was of Russian descent do you?
Did Mr Sanderson travel Mongolia and… no never mind, I going somewhere dark and well… a bit hairy to think about.